The Switch
by itsacompliment
Summary: In his repeating year at Hogwarts, Draco undergoes a transformation he never expected. A victim of a gender-bending spell, Draco must solve a mystery to change himself back- aided without request by Harry Potter and friends. Fair amount of Fem!Draco,DM/HP
1. Chapter 1

A/N: WOW! Thanks for opening this story- and I apologize if you find it a little rough. I wrote this many months ago (it is complete) and only now have I decided to upload, even though I previously was unhappy with it. I would appreciate some reviews, and again thank you for reading! ~Phoebe

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><p>It was before breakfast when a loud yell startled the Slytherin common room. Girls jumped and squealed and all heads turned to the boy's dormitories where the scream had resonated from. The green and silver clad students were frozen for a suspended moment of time, when a blonde figure appeared at the common room door.<p>

Her hands gripped her dishevelled blonde hair that hung below her shoulders and her delicate mouth open in a shocked, soundless scream. The common room was too stunned to move, until one girl found her voice and broke the silence.

"Fuck Draco," Pansy Parkinson breathed. She was Malfoy's closest friend - if Malfoy admittedly had friends. "Someone got you with a gender switch spell."

Draco's pale blue eyes burned, creating a quite ravishing look on his new features. The room was suddenly filled with cat-calls and hoots, even yells from the female students. Malfoy glowered in the doorway before turning on his heels and raced back up the stairs.

Pansy joined him in his room nearly instantly, joined by seventh year Viola Darlings. Viola had long brown hair braided down her back and somehow she and Pansy had formed a comfortable existence together even though they'd both held positions as popular girls in their respective grades. They locked the door behind themselves and both dropped onto his bed. The other beds in Draco's room were unused, since neither Crabbe nor Goyle had returned. Neither could return.

Malfoy glanced away from the full length mirror for a second. "What's she doing here?"

Pansy huffed, rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as if doing just one wasn't effective enough. "Because it looks like her tits are the right size," she said.

Malfoy jumped around, stumbling backwards slightly when he realised Viola had already removed her tie and was working on her shirt buttons. "Wha- What are you doing?"

"Honestly Draco," Pansy sighed. "Have you seen yourself?"

"Have I fucking seen myself?" He snapped, spinning back to mirror. He stared at his large blue eyes and blonde hair hanging from his head. His face shape had become slightly rounder, and he felt shorter by an inch or two. He pinched one of his cheeks and bit down on his lips.

"Oh you are such a gay," Pansy exclaimed, jumping up beside him. "Look down!"

Draco did, and startled himself. Boobs! There were breasts on his chest: underneath his grey sweatshirt was a pair of them, sitting there so casually.

"Oh fucking hell!" Draco yelled, jumping backwards. Of course, his boobs moved with him, seeing as they were permanently attached. "What is this?" He looked sharply, at Pansy. "Who the hell did this?"

She shrugged, utterly unhelpful as always. "Someone who hates you?"

"Bloody big list that is," he muttered, pressing his fingers against his eyes. He grabbed his arms and dug in his nails. "Who should I go see?"

Viola stood, her shirt and tie back in place and a petite purple bra with grey lace in her hands. "Maybe McGonagall?"

Draco stared at the bra. He was not putting that on.

"It's a charm," Pansy argued. "Flitwick."

Draco hesitantly took the bra from Viola's outstretched hand, blood rising in his ears.

"But McGonagall's Headmistress and the Transfiguration Professor. She'll fix it." Viola glanced at him and his slightly trembling hands. "Okay, Draco, let me help you with that."

Before he could speak she snatched the bra back and pushed him around so he had his back to her. Viola pushed the sleeves of his shoulders, pushed his arms through the straps and clasped it behind his back.

"There, baby." Viola glanced at Pansy. "He'll need actual clothes."

"I'm not wearing a skirt," Draco quickly said. He shifted the uncomfortable thing around his chest before opening his closet and pulling out his uniform. "This'll be fixed before breakfast is over."

Draco pulled his pants on, grabbing a belt to secure them tighter and higher than usual and clumsily put on his shirt. Viola and Pansy stared critically.

"Do you mind?" He snapped.

Pansy shrugged, and shared one of her female glances with Viola. "He isn't that intimidating when his voice his so cute." Viola nodded, looking him up and down and making his cheeks burn angrily.

"Well, I'm going," Draco said as he pulled on his shoes. Pansy and Viola appeared behind him as he opened the door and strode down the corridor.

While the common room might have normally been half empty by now, instead it was filled with nearly every student from first year to repeating seventh years (also known as eighth years). As soon as he strode in, the calls and yells picked up again.

"Rocking body, Malfoy!"

"I'd tap that!"

"Hey hot stuff." Zabini appeared by his side with a wink as Draco crossed the room through the crowd. "Looking cute, Draco."

Draco shoved him away, glaring at the cheeky smile still on his lips. He was closing in on the door, but the girl leaning beside his exit unsettled him. He sped his pace and reached out for the handle.

Angela pushed her cropped, blonde hair from her eyes to obviously look him up and down. Her tongue brushed over her bottom lip. "I wouldn't mind if you stayed that way, Draco." She winked. "Hit me up if you decide too."

Draco could have torn the door from its hinges when he yanked it back and began to sprint down the corridor. The roar of Angela's laugh and the laugh of the whole common room still echoed in his ears as he sped past bewildered portraits.

Despite the situation though, some part of Draco was laughing too. This was the Slytherin house's best event of the year, after enduring several months of corridor murmurs, inter-house rows, and unsavoury hexes. Draco Malfoy becoming a girl had probably united his house for one brief day- or even one week- of good humoured stories and jokes.

For a moment Draco felt pleased.

And as he rounded a corner and leaped up the first step of a stairwell he thought '_Fuck it all.'_

At the top of the stairs, three Gryffindors halted and very nearly dropped their bags in surprise. Draco's eyes fixated on the boy on the right, his hair a disgraceful mess and his eyes wider than… Draco forgot what he was thinking as he stared into those green eyes.

Harry Potter gripped the hand rail on the staircase. "Draco Malfoy?" He uttered slowly, realisation dawning on his face as he looked him up and down.

"Bloody Merlin," Ron Weasley whispered. "Malfoy?"

Malfoy snapped his gaze away from Potter and squared his shoulder, conscious of how it made his chest stick out. Why now? He was so close to McGonagall's office, and these bloody three appeared from thin air.

In the silence, Potter licked his lips, and Draco tensed for his comments, his remarks and teases and promises that everyone would hear. (Everyone was going to hear anyway though, granted the reception he'd had in the common room).

"Who did it?" Harry asked, voice strangely void of scorn or mockery.

Draco blinked and cleared his throat in shock. "No idea," he said with a dry mouth.

Granger gave a concerned glance at Weasley, who couldn't seem to tear his gaze from Malfoy's breasts.

"You sure?" Potter looked at him critically.

Draco looked at his feet and climbed the staircase, trying to pretend and hoping they would move out of his way. When he stopped one step below them, they hadn't. He really shouldn't have expected any less from the trio which saved the wizarding world.

Potter waited patiently- or stubbornly- until Draco could raise his eyes to his. "I don't know who did it," he said with conviction.

They stared for a long moment, until Granger coughed slightly and subtly jabbed Weasley with her elbow. She gave him a sympathetic tilt of the head.

"Your hair looks lovely," she told him awkwardly, pulling Harry to the side. Draco stared at her until her cheeks were bright red and she was staring at the ground.

"Um… thank you." The words slipped from his lips. Hiding his own shock, he took off up the last step and down the corridor. Potter, Weasley and Granger stood stunned for a minute, gathering their muddled senses as they watched the bobbing hair of a shapely, cute female Malfoy disappear.

When he had rounded the corner the three looked at each other, struggling to find words. Ron appeared in shock.

"That's a new one," Hermione finally managed to say. "That definitely doesn't happen every day."

"That doesn't happen in a million years," Ron whimpered. "I'll never get rid of that image."

Hermione patted his shoulder gently, giving Harry a wondering what-are-you-thinking look.

Harry just shook his head. "I wasn't prepared for that this morning."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow. Thanks for reading the first chapter, and opening the second! Again, please R/R. ~Phoebe

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><p>Draco lost all feeling of life. His heart halted, his breathing stopped, and his body chilled to ice. Several portraits in the room strained their necks to glimpse his face as McGonagall pursed her lips in concern.<p>

He licked his lips. "Say that again?" He hoarsely whispered. The headmistress sighed and shook her head.

"I'm afraid it's the only way, Mr Malfoy." She sat back and folded her arms, looking up and down him for the umpteenth time. "There are many different spells and potions that could cause this transformation, and therefore many varying ways to reverse or fix it. To do so we need to know the _exact _spell cast. We need to find the caster."

Draco shook his head, the blood thumping inside. "No one will own up."

McGonagall gazed at him with regret through her old eyes. "Without knowing the exact spell, any attempts to help your condition might cause serious or permanent damage."

Draco's head dropped into his hands, blonde hair falling into his lap. He moaned softly into his hands. McGonagall allowed him a minute of indulgent depression before she began asking her questions.

She asked about his behaviour for the last week, if he'd eaten or drunken something with a suspicious taste, ever felt a strange chill, heat and generally weird feeling as if a spell had been cast upon him, any strange or unexplained lapses in his memory. While Draco wracked his brain, nothing unusual came to mind. McGonagall tried to press further, going back a month or two, but still Draco had no reason to suspect any certain person.

Examining who would have the desire and motive to hex him was useless, as many older Slytherins had been targeted throughout the year. There was a good reason several fifth, sixth, seventh and the repeating students had chosen not to return to Hogwarts.

In the first week Draco was threatened by several students from other houses and hexed five times. Pansy was locked in a cupboard by unknown Gryffindors. Zabini had actually been punched twice by a large Ravenclaw called Colin Baxley and at that McGonagall had issued a severe warning that violence and threats were not to be tolerated. The whole school heard her forty minute speech on topics such as the war, loyalties and difficulties, inter-house respect, and the reputation of Hogwarts.

It had helped. A little.

Blaise wasn't hexed for two weeks afterwards. A month passed before Draco had his books stolen and then found in the lake the next morning. Pansy did well to keep to herself, yet someone eventually loosed a bludger in her bedroom five weeks in.

They reached the floor beside the Great Hall, and Draco avoided looking at the opposite wall which was covered with many small, golden plaques to commemorate the battle which had taken place at Hogwarts last year.

Draco straightened his back as he followed McGonagall into the Great Hall, keeping his face stony as a hush fell on the student body. One or two boys wolf whistled and there was plenty of giggling from the younger girls. What surprised Draco though was the uneasy silence on many older students. The Ravenclaws, always dependable to turn down a dual as 'not worth their intelligence' were straight-backed and quite grim. Draco wondered the expression on several Hufflepuff students, until he realised with a burst of anger that it was pity.

The Headmistress halted at the teacher's platform and turned to address all the students. Her mouth was a stern line as she nodded at Draco and clapped her hands for the already alert attention.

"All students are aware;" she began curtly, "that any hexes, potions and/or charms are explicitly not to be cast on another student." Several smiles vanished under her tone and Draco held back a small smirk. "This _attack_ on one of the Slytherins is not going to be overlooked. Whoever is responsible for what has occurred to Mister Malfoy is to come see me by lunch time, or face serious consequences." Draco snapped his head towards her. Lunch? That would mean hours as a girl!

McGonagall didn't acknowledge him. "If anyone else knows something, see me in private as soon as you can. Thank you."

She looked at him through her spectacles, gestured at the Slytherin table topped with friend eggs, sausages and toast, then spun around and took her place at the teacher's table.

Draco didn't move for a moment, conscious on all the eyes on him. Squaring his shoulders and pushing his annoyingly long hair behind one ear he approached Pansy at the very top of the Slytherin table.

To her credit, she smothered the large grin that had been plastered upon her cheeks. "That didn't sound promising," she said.

Draco scowled. "McGonagall says if she doesn't know the exact potion or spell, she can't use a counter curse." He snatched the untouched toast from the closest source. (A second year boy's plate).

He began to turn away when Pansy grabbed the hem of his untucked shirt. "You're coming to class right?" Her eyes searched him seriously, and he shook her off.

"Of course," he said over his shoulder, and she nodded reassured. Draco strode as quickly as possible down the table until he exited the Great Hall and continued out of the castle. He headed directly for the lake, finding a shady place where he could sit and be hid by the plants. The blue sky dotted with white clouds only made him feel less inclined to go to class.

He ate half the toast, mouth dry and stomach churning slightly. Finally he angrily threw the other half towards the lake, where it landed in the mud. Then he pulled his knees to his chin.

Fuck everything. Fuck meal times in the silent library and never speaking in class. Fuck watching over the younger grades. Fuck all his trying.

It wasn't going to get better. Draco was smart. He knew no one would ever forgive him. The boy who let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts. It wasn't a tale that would die away anytime sooner or later. In fact, several books were already published on the topic.

He'd often thought of dropping out again, not really knowing what had possessed him to return at all. There had been something comforting with returning to Hogwarts. It was getting away from his dark house and broken family. It was falling into routines which had seemed so dull like classes and study.

_Crunch. Crunch crunch._

Draco jumped, turning around sharply but being blinded by the light locks which smacked him in the face and stuck to his mouth. He angrily pushed his hair away, and felt his face burn when all he could see was Harry Potter standing over him.

Harry nervously ran a hand through his hair before dropping onto the grass beside him. Draco abruptly turned away.

There was a heavy silence. Draco stared at his hands, suddenly alarmed by how small and slender his fingers were. He picked at the skin beside his thumbnail until Potter suddenly cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry about all this."

Draco turned his head and gave Potter the dirtiest look he could gather, and by Harry's shock expression, it was pretty good.

"Seriously, Potter," Draco snarled. "You don't have to make everything your bloody business. This isn't something for you to bother yourself with and act all savoir and hero and whatnot." Draco dropped his eyes and voice. "Leave me alone."

Potter, the bastard he was, didn't budge or flinch. "I asked them ages ago to leave all Slytherins alone," he murmured.

Draco swiftly smacked his hand against Potter's arm, making scar boy jump and give a small exclaim of, "Ouch!"

"Don't pity me Potter!" Draco yelled, clambering onto his knees for leverage. "Don't pretend!" He leaned over Harry, his hair spilling onto his face. "You don't give a shit about me! Remember? Don't fucking pretend you care!"

His voice trembled and Draco realised with a shock that he was very close to tears. Pushing himself away from Harry's startled face; Draco leaned away and covered his eyes with his hair. At least it had one use.

"Malfoy?" Harry touched his arm and Draco violently shook him off. "I do care."

Something shook inside Draco, and a dry gasp escaped. Harry's hand touched his shoulder.

"It makes me so angry that they do this." Potter was talking to himself nearly, still trying to reassure Draco. Bastard. "It's useless. The war's over."

He sneered and wiped his eyes. "Honesty, Potter, you're thick. We're still in the aftermath here."

Harry lowered his head, pushing away Draco's hair to see his eyes. Draco stared into his green eyes for a moment too long before blinking away. He pushed away Potter's hand and scootered away.

"Leave me alone," he grumbled, pressing his hands against his eyes and succumbing to the black behind his lids.

"I just wanted to check on y-"

"Leave me alone."

"I wanted to-"

"Leave me alone."

"Just-"

"Leave me alo-"

"Listen! I-"

"Leave me alone!"

"Draco!"

Hesitantly, Draco raised his head and turned to him, that stupid bastard boy with his green eyes. Harry Potter stared fiercely back. A second past, then his eyes softened.

"Draco," he said gently, awkwardly. "I want to help you… because…"

Draco bit his tongue to prevent himself from snapping at him. Harry breathed in deeply.

"Because I want to see you as yourself again." He chewed his lip. "As a boy." His eyes were burning into Draco's. "Because I really like you. I like you, and I know you're gay… too."

The sound of glass shattering was echoing in Draco's ears. He wanted to shout some more, or search for Weasley and Granger in the bushes, giggling about the wonderful joke they were playing on him. But he couldn't look away Harry's eyes.

One thought echoed within his mind.

Harry Potter really liked him.

And the boy was gay.

_How in fuck did Draco not realise Potter was fucking gay?_


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I am genuinely surprised by the amount of hits the previous chapters are getting, so here is the third chapter- and a thank you to those to reviewed the last one and brightened my day. xx ~Phoebe

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><p>Draco entered class late, sliding through the door and seating himself right at the back where Slughorn wouldn't notice. Feeling eyes burning his head, Draco glanced up to see the concerned stare from Potter. Draco looked down again swiftly and pulled out his books soundlessly.<p>

The person beside him jabbed him in the ribs with their elbow, and Draco jumped when he looked up to see Angela wearing a smirk behind her folded hands. He glanced around her, seeing Pansy fuming at the table opposite them.

Angela looked back at Slughorn. "I'm as interested as you are to find out who did this," she muttered smugly. She glanced him up and down again. "It's incredible, really."

Glowering, Draco opened his parchment and tried to hear the lecture. Angela watched him slyly.

She leaned towards him. "Are you interested?" She whispered bluntly.

Draco glanced at her, throwing all his detesting into a single look. Angela remained amused.

"Wouldn't it be fun," she insisted, "to try the lesbian side for once?"

Draco glanced behind her, seeing several Slytherin heads turned curiously their way. He ducked his head down.

"Come on Draco," she breathed at his ear, causing him to cringe, "let's have some fun later?"

He snapped his head up to tell her to 'fuck off' when Slughorn loudly cleared his throat and the whole class snapped their attention back to him. The potions professor regarded Draco with his stern eyes.

"Mr Malfoy?"

"Yes sir," Draco said as politely as possible, still conscious of how close Angela's body was to his.

"In Potions class, long hair must always be tied back," said the Professor, looking down to peruse his notebook.

The class held its breath. Draco looked ready to hex Slughorn, or possibly punch the girl beside him. From across the room, Ron Weasley appeared to be choking soundlessly.

Angela poked him, pushing a black band into his face. "Rules Draco," she said, clearly having an illegal amount of fun here.

Draco snatched the hair band and shot a glare to most of the class, causing the heads to swivel back to Slughorn, now writing on the board.

Draco tried to clumsily pull the bloody mop of uselessness into some ponytail but he only knotted and tangled his hair. After an exasperated sigh, Angela grabbed is hands, pulled them away from his hair, and gently pulled his hair into a ponytail at the base of his head. After she'd quickly withdrawn her hands, Draco shifted left, in an attempt to ignore her.

Throughout the whole class, he felt eyes on him. Angela never stopped making noise, whether it was tapping her nails, humming or just her stupid breathing. Pansy kept making strange eye contact with him, where he couldn't understand anything she was attempting to convey. Most of all, every time he glanced at the board, his eyes wandered left towards the messy black hair and twice he met eyes with Potter. Those bloody eyes that seemed too full of emotion. How did Potter manage to see through the sappy mess he put out through those green eyes?

Harry Potter liked him.

Draco massaged his temples. While he had admitted to himself he was attracted to men a while ago, he hadn't dreamed anyone left at Hogwarts would be attracted to him. He was quite obviously hated by three of four houses, and the choice left in Slytherin was very sadly diminished. Only Zabini, Pansy and he were repeating, and combined with the returned seventh years they had the smallest grade of the school.

Something sharp and cold pressing against his arm started him and he nearly slipped from the chair. Angel a blinked innocently as he examined the black ink she had drawn up his right arm. Bloody fucking lunatic, she was.

The class was standing and filing out the door, and Draco realised he hadn't even heard the dismissal. He stuffed his quills away and rolled up his parchment scare of useful notes. Angela hovered by his side and he could feel the stares of everyone exiting the door.

"Go away Angela," he told her darkly. He was used to using her first name, since she's refused to reveal her last name when they'd first met, claiming he "Should have listened during the sorting, hmm?" Now Draco didn't even remember her bloody last name.

She shrugged. "I can tell you're pretty pissed," she said cheerily. "So I'll find you later, when you're not ready to punch me. Bye sweetheart." She flounced away, and Draco looked up at the stupid grinning faces of his classmates exiting the room.

"She'll tear you apart mate," Seamus yelled out, sending him a saucy wink and a cheeky grin. The Gryffindors roared with laughter and several Slytherins joined in. Draco grabbed his bag and pressed through the crowd, striding down a side corridor which would lead him to Charms while avoiding most main corridors.

Footsteps thundered behind him, and Draco braced himself for seeing someone he didn't want to see. He glanced over his shoulder.

Fucking Potter.

Harry slowed to a walk beside him, glancing down and failing as he tried to hide grin. "Hermione was right. Your hair does look nice."

Draco quickened his pace, but Harry found it easy to keep up.

"No, seriously, you're a pretty girl, Malfoy." There was a laugh in his voice. Draco glared at him.

Then Potter sidestepped in front of him, causing Draco to jump back in surprise. Harry stepped close and Draco wondered if the empty corridor was echoing with the sound of his thundering heart.

"You're much more handsome as a boy though," Harry breathed, eyes staring very deeply in his. Draco cleared his throat and hastily stepped back.

Hurt flashed behind Harry's eyes, somehow stirring Draco uneasily. He coughed again, glancing at his feet. This was so much easier when he'd only wanted to inflict pain on Potter. This unexplainable guilt just made Draco hate himself that little bit more.

"You're mental," Draco managed to say yet avoiding eye contact. "Leave me alone."

"But I don't want to."

Draco's chest constricted. "It's not your choice!" He snapped. "I can't deal with this." He pointed to his body. "Don't strut up to me on the day I get a hex from hell and say you have bloody feelings for me! I'm too confused to think about you right now!"

With that Draco pushed past the Boy Who Lived, completely ignoring his stunned expression. He ran to his next class, arriving at the door two minutes before class started. Now several Ravenclaws had the opportunity to gape and snicker as he slid into the closest chair, ducked his head, and completely ignored everything Flitwick had to say for the rest of the lesson.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: More thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapters- it obviously means a lot to me and makes me so happy. I'll admit that I want to send out all these chapters before my holidays end in just over a week, so you can expect quite frequent updates. (This complete story isn't overly long, either). Please enjoy, and please review ~Phoebe xx

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><p>Draco hovered outside McGonagall's office, standing silent against the cool bricks. A third year class wandered past, all Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws which knotted together as they passed him. One Ravenclaw girl nearly stopped in front of him, eyes round and mouth hanging open. Her friends pushed against her insistently and she pulled her eyes away from him and hurried down the corridor.<p>

The old Draco- the Draco before the war- would have relished in this. After the Ravenclaws rounded the corner, the present Draco slid down and rested his head on his knees.

Draco tried to clutch his knees tightly, finding his new chest disrupting his normally comforting position. He liked closing himself in like this, shutting away sound and sight, and most of touch but the feel of his heart and solidness of the floor. But it felt different today.

He was careful. Everything about his life was fragile and he was stepping so carefully around the glass at his feet. And he'd slipped up.

This spell wasn't someone's revenge. Revenge was when Denis Creevey had punched him squarely in the jaw without speaking to him before or afterwards. This felt like hatred. This felt like someone wanted him to be humiliated, to be shamed and angry with himself. They wanted to watch him suffer, to see him break apart.

He had felt this towards Harry Potter as a boy. Ever since they'd been separated by the sorting- positioned as opposite sides of a coin- he'd wanted to watch Potter break. He had thought he had. Now he was only confused.

Harry had been watching him during classes since the first day. Draco had thought he knew why. He thought Potter was attempting to keep him in place, continuing his duties as hero of the wizarding world. Never had he dreamed…

"Mister Malfoy?"

Draco dropped sideways, catching himself with his arm before his smacked into the ground. McGonagall was standing beside her office entrance, a troubled look across her worn face.

He scrambled to his feet. "Professor," he greeted hastily. She looked grim, dashing his weak hope. "Nothing?"

She pursed her lips. "It's disappointing, but yes, no one has owned up." She looked at him over her glasses. "I'm sorry, Mister Malfoy," she added sincerely.

He shrugged. "It's not like we expected anyone to come."

McGonagall examined him for a moment, before sighing. "I'll address everyone in the Great Hall right now. Do you want to be there?"

"I'd rather not," he said quietly. McGonagall nodded curtly and walked away.

Draco considering sitting down again, but there was no point staying outside McGonagall's office now the bad news was official. He headed for a back way onto the grounds.

He headed for the lake again, searching for a quiet place behind the plants and in the shade. Several students were lounging in the sunny places, talking and laughing loudly. Draco ventured to a place closer to the Forbidden Forest, finding a large oak tree he could rest his back against and stay hidden behind. Sitting down, he slammed his head against the bark and shut his eyes at the white pain that shot through him.

What would Potter do if he was stuck as a girl for the rest of his life? Hadn't he fancied the Cho Chang girl at some point- asking her to the Yule Ball and all?

Draco stopped himself. "You're a fucking idiot," he said out loud. He didn't even know his own feelings for Potter. He'd hated him for so many years.

"Idiot!" Draco slammed his head against the trunk again and continued for each word. "Idiot, fucking idiot!"

Hands gently took his shoulders and stilled them. Draco's eyes leapt open, and he could hardly believe the person before him. This was the weirdest day of his life.

Weasley hastily stepped back, wiping his hands on his jumper absently. He stared at the ground near Draco's feet for a long moment and scratched his head through his blindingly bright hair while Draco's mouth opened and closed, twice before he could think coherently. "What the hell was that for Weasley?"

Ron glanced at him, obviously struggling to find any reason for his own actions.

"You don't have some fucking crush on me too, do you?" Draco snarled. He'd been withdrawn all school year, but now he was too angry to hold back anything. Even to the people he'd avoided most.

Ron appeared insulted. "Listen Malfoy, maybe it's because he's my best mate, or maybe it's because you're currently a girl, but I wasn't going to watch you sit there and give yourself a concussion."

"Well aren't you a gentlemen."

They glowered for a moment, but Draco dropped his gaze first. He couldn't do this right now.

"Professor McGonagall said there's going to be serious consequences for anyone involved in, erm, what's happened to you." Weasley said. "She was pretty damn angry so everyone's already heard about it. Gossip and all."

Draco glanced at Weasley through his lashes. He was anxiously leaning from one leg to the other, fiddling with his hands and glancing from the tree to the ground to Draco himself.

"Still can't talk to girls?" Draco asked sharply. Ron glared at him.

"It's weird Malfoy, okay?" Ron sighed. "Everything this whole year has been messed up. Everything's a little wrong and this is the definitely the weirdest."

"I really hadn't noticed," Draco snapped. He pressed his fingers to his temples. "_Why_ are you doing this? We hate each other."

Ron shrugged. "We did. Everyone was messed up by the war, and after all that happened last year hating you just seems too childish. Right?"

Draco looked into his eyes. When did Weasley get smacked by the wise man stick? "Right."

Weasley nervously licked his lips. "And Harry actually told you?"

"He didn't really choose the right day too. Forgive me if I refuse to think about it now."

Ron shuffled his feet before shaking his head as he dropped cross legged to the ground. "You don't know how this has been on Harry, Malfoy." He met Draco's eyes and held then. "Hermione and I watched him really closely after the war, to make sure he was okay. Harry and me weren't thinking of coming back to Hogwarts at all. Hermione wasn't going to stay away."

Draco cocked an eyebrow, wondering where this story was going. Ron's careless smile faded under his gaze.

"One morning Hermione was talking about going back, and she mentioned you and the other Slytherins returning. Harry just… he just got this look, and he started talking about these crazy things he'd be thinking about. He said he wanted to see you again." Ron gave a weak grin at Draco's incredulous expression. "He needed to see you again to figure out how he felt."

Ron leaned back. "I thought he was barmy, really. But we all got ready to come back, turned up at King's Cross, and we're talking when he suddenly starts staring over my shoulder. He was staring straight at you."

Draco's heart thudded against his rib cage and he sucked in a deep breath after reminding himself of the essentialness of air.

"He's talked about you all year, trying to get close to you a couple times, but you haven't noticed. You've been trying to avoid us, we know. You should have seen him when Hermione found out from a Slytherin girl that you were gay." He chuckled. "Malfoy, you're the reason Harry finally decided to come back to Hogwarts, and all he wants to do now is forget about being the Boy Who Lived."

Draco didn't care that Weasley was sitting before him. He dropped his head into his hands. "You're not helping me, Weasley. You're just making my fucking headache worse."

They dropped into silence. Possibly the strangest silence of Draco's life.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello everyone, and thank you so much to those who have added this to their story alerts! I'm completely baffled! I'd love for some reviews on this chapter- I'm really interested to hear your critiques and thoughts so please don't be shy :) Thankyou again ~Phoebe xx

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><p>He strode back to the Slytherin common room in a frustrated mood. Flitwick had checked him for traces of magic after Charms class, but found nothing. McGonagall had also arrived, bringing more bad news that Slughorn didn't have any idea on the types of potions which changed a person's gender. The Potions Professor had claimed those particular brew were very specific study that wasn't necessary in most school teaching positions.<p>

Draco nearly snarled as he passed first year girls who giggled behind their books.

"Draco?"

"Hey!"

"Sorry."

Pansy's voice traveled towards him. He turned to see her thunder to a stop in front of him. Glancing over her shoulder, he saw a fifth year girl with light blonde hair, rubbing her shoulder and shooting a dirty look at Parkinson.

"You thought that was me?" Draco asked icily, just as Pansy was blushing and shooting a thumb back at the girl and saying, "That chick looked like you from the back."

They stared at each other, Draco glowering from under his lashes and Pansy's mouth slowly spreading into an unashamed grin. Draco turned and walked away.

"Potter talked to me at lunch today," Pansy said loudly, nearly causing Draco to trip. She ran to catch him, walking a step behind as she talked.

"He said he had talked to you in the morning." She examined him closely, Draco feeling his throat constricting. "He had a message."

"What was it?"

"What did you talk about this morning?"

Pansy stared at him very seriously until cracks appeared in her poker face. With a snicker, she felt apart into giggles, grabbing Draco's shoulder to keep herself upright. Draco stayed frosty.

"Oh gosh," Pansy gasped, "your face, Draco. It's so…" She clutched her chest. "I never thought female Draco would be so…" He glared her down. "So sassy! Your bitch-face is priceless!"

He shrugged her off sharply, and Pansy caught herself before she fell forward. Students filing past glanced at them and struggled to hide small grins. Draco snapped his head towards a group of second years who hurried their pace.

"Oh, relax Draco," Pansy breathed as they started to walk again. She ignored his look this time.

"Pansy, tell me what Potter said."

She smiled at him, as if there was something she knew that he didn't want her to know. "It was something about wanting to help you."

"Exact words, Pansy." They were nearing the common room now.

"Fine," She said briskly. "He said: 'You tell Malfoy I'm going to do everything I can to find a solution.' Feel privileged, Draco? Famous Harry Potter is on your case!"

"_Mercede amore."_

"What?" Pansy's mouth dropped open before she shook her head as the dungeon wall revealed the common room. "Right. The new password."

Draco rolled his eyes and headed straight to his dormitory. Several year seven boys called out some crude sayings and Angela and her friends sitting on the over side of the room yelled back. Ducking his head, he hastily moved to the dorm and sped past Angela as she stumbled up from the sofa. He shut his room door, her hopeful face darkening scathingly from metres away.

Inside his room, he felt that sudden loneliness that sometimes struck in the middle of the night. Blaise had once offered to stay in his dormitory for some small comfort, but then he'd found a better roommate in Aimee Vaisey. Not that any teachers knew.

Some yelling from the common room started again, muffled through the thick walls to nothing but murmurs. The Slytherin prefects had neglected reprimanding the students in the common room this year, mostly because the students were so reserved outside of their one haven.

The long mirror hanging beside Draco's bed caught his attention, and he realised he'd been leaning against the door for minutes he couldn't recall.

He moved to the mirror, pulling the hair from the ponytail and allowing it to fall around his shoulders. Draco twisted side to side, truly admiring the wreck he appeared to be. His baggy shirt sat on his small chest before covering much of his torso. Draco pinched himself on the cheek, stomach and thigh. Then in a burst of anger, gripping his arm with the nails he hadn't realised he had and dug them in until he couldn't bear it.

A tiny cut appeared where his middle finger had been gripping.

Undressing was mechanical, and Draco laid his clothes on his bed and examined his measurements in the mirror. With the aid of spells he'd used to make some old clothes of his father's fit, he shortened and tightened the shirt and pants. Before he stowed his wand he remembering to change his shoes as well, since they'd began to give his heels and balls of the foot pain.

He finished the task without any comfort or sense of achievement. There was an hour left before dinner and he hadn't even written down the homework he was to do. So he dropped down on the bed, staring at the roof, and thought.

The last thought he remembered was… _Harry._

_Harry's eyes were staring at him. So bright. So green, full of depth and emotion. Draco didn't know what emotion it was, but it was pulling him forward. Draco was pushing through an ocean of black, moving darkness. The only light came from Harry's eyes, but the light burned the closer her got. The green was blinding him, searing his skin and even boiling his insides._

Someone was touching his arm. "Draco, wake up."

Draco forced his heavy eyes open, staring into dark eyes looming over him. His heart jumped before he realised they belonged to Blaise, hovering over him with a worried gaze.

Draco sat up, Blaise quickly shifting away. Draco looked down at his body, only in a bra and boxers, and shot him an 'are-you-serious?' look.

Aimee was standing at the foot of his bed. She gave him a smile, which he promptly ignored.

"We have twenty minutes before dinner," Blaise said before he could ask. "Pansy said we should wake you."

Draco nodded, rubbing his eyes and twisting his neck. Aimee had crossed her arms and started to chew on her bottom lip.

Draco stood. "I'll get dressed and see you there," he told them, going to tussle his hair but only tangling his fingers.

Blaise and Aimee moved to the door, but the boy hesitated. "Come to dinner, 'kay Draco? You've barely eaten today."

He waited at the door, Aimee starting to look impatient. Draco finally nodded sincerely, and Blaise left.

Zabini was on his case every second day, when Aimee wasn't distracting him. Somehow knowing which meals he'd skipped and which meals he'd been sick after. Draco dressed in his fitted robes and wandered into the common room. With ten minutes to dinner, it was empty spare one dark haired girl sitting in the far corner.

Draco glanced at her as he walked past, but then he reconsidered and stopped. "What's your name?" He called out to her.

She jumped and fumbled with the third year Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook. Her mouth opened and closed, tongue trying to form clumsy words.

Draco cocked an eyebrow, placing one hand on his hip as she finally recovered from the surprise.

"Rosemary Higgs."

He nodded. "Why aren't you going to dinner?"

She bit her lip, and Draco noticed her right leg jumping up and down. She brandished her book.

"I'm catching up… on class," she explained. "Reading. I'm not hungry." She smiled quite genuinely. "I'm fine."

Draco spent a moment looking at her. She continued to fidgit, searching for her lost page. In particular Draco looked at Rosemary's small wrists and thin cheeks.

He beckoned her with his hand. "I'm going to dinner now so you can come with me."

She opened her mouth for another excuse, but Draco shook his head and looked at her sternly. Rosemary nodded slowly, understanding what he could see, and stood and walked with him out the common room door.

"What's your name?" She asked meekly. Draco smirked and glanced at her through his lashes.

"What was the biggest gossip of today?" He asked back.

Rosemary's eyes widened before she reddened and quickened her walking pace. Draco chuckled, matching her pace silently. They entered the hall just as food appeared on the tables and the noise of hundreds of students shouting and eating filled the room.

"Where are your friends?"

Rosemary glanced at him before pointing to the middle of the Slytherin table. A group of tightly packed third years were bent over their dinners, the girls talking closely and twisting their hair with their fingers while several boys sat straight and aloofly.

Draco wrinkled his nose. "No. Let's sit here." He gestured to the spare places at the end of the table. Rosemary gave him a curious glance before sitting beside him.

They made small talk for ten minutes until Rosemary asked him for advice on the Defense test she would take that year. Draco grudgingly recounted most of his third year studies in Defense, seeing as her course was turning out very similar.

"So you've seen the boggarts then?" Draco asked. He watched as she swallowed another piece of roast chicken.

She nodded. "I was worried of what mine was going to be," she admitted. "But the boggart became large shark and it just flopped on the floor- quite funny if it hadn't been so huge. I say I'm afraid of the water, but really I'm just afraid of whatever is in it."

Draco picked up the tongs and went to grab a square of potato but Rosemary shook her head roughly, meeting his gaze and then lowering her eyes. He shrugged, grabbing some carrots and beans instead and dropping them on her plate first, followed by his.

"What was your boggart?" She asked quietly.

Draco stabbed a carrot. "It wouldn't be the same now," he murmured thoughtfully. "Not after everything that's happened."

Rosemary sat patiently and with an expectant nod from him she stabbed a bean and ate it.

"During my practical exam in third year, we had a boggart. I thought it was going to be father, saying I was a disgrace of something.

"Back in first year, I served detention in the forbidden forest. I was in there with Harry Potter, and we saw this _thing_ feasting on unicorn blood. I found a couple years later that it was Voldemort trying to stay alive. I didn't even know it was him, but he was a monster that haunted me for several years. He was my boggart. A dark tall figure in a long black cloak, unicorn blood dripping from its mouth. I could never get that image out of my mind whenever I saw him."

Draco broke from his trance, turning to see Rosemary's pale face and wide eyes. She nodded very slowly.

"It sounds terrifying," she whispered. "Everyone was surprised that you were returning." She blushed. "My parents told me not to speak to you."

Draco snorted. "Well you didn't listen to them now, did you?"

Rosemary shrugged. "You're not really you right now though, anyway."

Draco sighed, glancing down. No, he was hardly himself right now. His gaze wandered sideways, somehow looking under the gold and red banners. The green eyes he'd dreamed of jumped out at him immediately. Potter held his gaze with a blank face, before Draco turned back to Rosemary and stabbed more of his dinner.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Mountain of thanks to everyone who reviewed- and everyone who's been reading this: I would love to know what you think! :) To La Rondine I understand exactly what you mean about Harry confesses to Draco as a girl being hypocrytical. I see it that Harry felt too intimidated to talk to Draco as he always saw him, so when Draco becomes this entire new person, he can finally muster the courage and confess everything :). Thanks for reading, and please review! ~Phe

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><p>Rosemary said a quick goodbye when the mass of Slytherin students moved into the dungeons. As they distanced themselves from the other houses, more cat calls and whistles appeared out of nowhere, all directed at the fuming Draco. He didn't hang around in the common room, but retreated right to his room again. Pansy nodded goodnight from within a group of girls forming beside the fire.<p>

Draco dropped onto his bed, feeling exhausted even thought he'd just eaten. The warmth of the Great Hall at night had made him drowsy.

Draco reached up to undo his buttons when he heard the door click. He jumped around, yet the door was still. Unease settled in his gut.

Draco stood slowly, reaching for his wand.

"Wait, Malfoy!"

Harry Potter's voice spoke from the air, and Draco pressed his fingertips to his head. He was mad.

"Don't hex me, I'll take off the cloak," Potter's voice said calmly. The air beside the door shimmered and Harry appeared, holding a shiny garment in his hands.

Draco found himself speechless. Potter bashfully fidgeted with the cloak in his hands, giving an apologetic smile.

"Fucking hell, Potter," Draco hissed. "Why the fuck are you in my room? Why the fuck are you in the _Slytherin_ dormitory?"

Harry licked his lips and nervously brushed his fingers through his hair. "I followed you back."

"But fucking _why_?" Draco strode across the room but stopped himself standing too close to Potter. His eyes closed in on the cloak, and he whispered in clumsily disguised awe, "Is that an invisibility cloak?"

Potter grinned. "It was my dad's." He held it up and his legs disappeared behind the shimmering shield. "I've had it since first year."

Draco brushed his fingers over the cloak's surface. He never dreamed Potter would have owned something as exquisite as this: so old, yet still intact and not faded. It had to be very expensive, very sought after, and very magical.

Then again, it seemed very appropriate for Potter.

"Put in on and get out," Draco snapped and he turned his back on Harry. He would have loved to examine it further, even try wearing it, but that wasn't going to happen.

Draco felt a shock when Harry's hand brushed his ever so lightly. He jumped away, standing beside the long mirror and staring him down with startling bright eyes.

"I want to talk to you," Harry Potter said pleadingly, a little frustrated and a little saddened.

Draco nearly growled. "I don't want to talk to you."

Harry sighed, closing his eyes and sitting on the nearest bed. Draco felt a surge of anger and crossed his arms to contain himself. He found the position awkward. How did girls cross their arms when they had these boobs in the way?

"Have you thought about when you could have drunken the potion?" Potter asked him carefully. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I'm only a complete idiot so of course I haven't," Potter winced at the venom in his voice, but he continued anyway. "You should also know, git, that I could have been hit with a spell as well."

Harry shook his head. "Hermione's looked into it." Draco covered his shock. "The only spells are very temporary or only small transfigurations. For something to last longer than five hours it has to be from a potion."

He held back any comments on Granger's blood status and the insult her research was to him. He had no idea why she was even interested in aiding him, but he didn't bother asking Potter. It was just the type of question that would lead to more talk about _feelings._

"Hermione thinks," Potter started, "that the potion was probably placed in your meal or drink. That could mean someone close to you is responsibility."

Draco dropped onto his bed. "Honestly Potter, there's a long list of people who want to fuck me over. Your help is pretty much useless, so just drop it and go brainstorm some more jokes with your poncy from Gryffindor friends."

There was silence, and when Draco glanced up, Harry was staring at him. His eyes were slightly gazed, staring through him in deep thought. Draco cleared his throat and Harry sat straighter and adjusted his glasses. There was more silence and Draco didn't stop himself from looking Harry's way.

"Who was that girl in potions?" Potter finally asked. Draco raised his eyebrows.

"You don't know Angela?" Draco's lips twitched into a smirk. "There's not a seventh year who doesn't know Angela."

Harry's eyes glanced around the room, hovering on the green and silver décor. "Well Slytherin has been very reserved this year. None of the girls repeating in Gryffindor know her."

The comment shouldn't have been insulting, but Draco felt a small part of him growl. Slytherin had become a shadow in Hogwarts, the seen but not heard house.

"If you're profiling suspects, Potter, I don't believe it was _Angela-_" he scoffed, "-who's done this. She doesn't bother with boys, and despite all appearances, I am still one. She likes to mess with people, and that's all she was doing in Potions."

Potter shifted. "And the girl at dinner?"

Draco stared at Harry until the discomfort showed on his face in shifty eye movement and his nervous licking of his lips. Draco thought about the boy before him. Saviour of all wizards. The boy who had died twice and had been in danger countless times. But Harry was very much a Gryffindor, bred on a different fire to sly Slytherins.

"You will never know what it's like to be a Slytherin," Draco hissed slowly. "You won't know the pressure hanging over the students in my house. We're bred from the grandest, most influential families and we're told to be _perfect._"

Harry looked puzzled, his brow noting as he tried to fit the answer to the question.

"We're expected to have high grades and connected friends, Potter, and it's not a question whether we meet those expectations or not. Girls are meant to attractive and skinny, and there's always one girl in the house who fainting once a month." Draco snarled, his hands clenching the sheets on his bed. "You would have never faced this type of pressure, Potter, be your parents dead or alive."

He'd stepped the line with Harry's parents, and the oppressing feeling of guilt washed over him but Draco kept his face stern. Potter didn't move, perhaps stunned by shock or just gripped by anger. Harry's shoulders relaxed as he let out a steady breath.

"No, I don't understand pressure like that," he said softly. "But," and his eyes saw through Draco's mask of indifference, "I've felt what it's like to have the world on your shoulders. It wasn't a breeze to watch my friends die, Malfoy, but I had to keep fighting on because I knew your side couldn't be allowed to win."

'_Your side.'_

Draco choked on a sob and pushed it back down his chest. Harry was so right that it hurt. He'd been on the wrong side. They weren't 'wrong' because they had lost the war- they were wrong for everything they'd stood for.

Draco realised too late that he was crying. Small tears dropped onto his cheeks and his breath came in a soppy, rasped gasp. He grabbed his sides, holding himself together in a literal way and tried to hold down everything. He tried to forget emotion, go back to nothingness and emptiness, but the gate had swung open too far and now he could feel everything he tried to suppress.

He cried because his father had only wanted a son who excelled. He cried because he was stuck in a body that felt awkward and humiliating. He cried because he'd been responsible for the death of one of the greatest, kindest old fools that wizards had ever known.

He was a coward, a fool, and an angry emotional child. He let it all out, closing in on himself and barely realising as he cried in front of the boy who'd he hated for years. But Draco didn't hate Harry Potter the most: he hated himself.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: More and more thanks to everyone who has been reading this, and to those who have been reviewing as well. Just a reminder: I'm not currently writing or working on this story. I actually wrote this many months ago, and have only now decided to upload. I wasn't very happy with it, but just thought, "What the hell!" Please enjoy this chapter, and please review! :) ~Phoebe

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><p>Draco began to realise his surroundings as the tears slowed. He was leaning over his legs, head buried in the crook of his right arm. His heart stuttered when he felt Harry's presence by his right side. Harry seemed to realise this too and removed his hand from Draco's back.<p>

Draco stood abruptly and strode to the bathroom, shutting the door and flipping the lock. A whimper escaped when he looked in the mirror and saw large, red-rimmed eyes on his pathetic female features.

He splashed water on his face and wiped it off roughly. He set his hands on either side of the basin and took deep, steadying breaths.

He tried not to think of the last time Harry and caught him crying in the bathrooms.

Staring in the mirror, he pulled out the hair band from his pocket and restrained his hair. A small part of him wanted to curl down and stay in the bathroom all night, hoping Potter would leave after an hour or two. But while he was tempted, hiding was even more humiliating than crying his eyes out, and this time Draco wasn't acting like a coward.

Harry was still on Draco's bed, looking up when he entered with a carefully held blank expression. Draco swallowed, feeling the burning in his sore throat.

"Leave, Potter," Draco managed to say softly. Harry nodded slowly.

"Come meet Hermione and me in the library tonight, Malfoy." Harry said as he stood. "We'll be there at midnight."

The clock beside his bed read 9:30. He looked back at Harry.

Sighing, Draco dropped his head forward, completely exhausted by his pathetic crying. "Fine, Potter. I'll be there."

Harry grinned widely before he quickly wiped it from his face and nodded curtly. He walked across the room, grabbing the cloak from Crabbe's old bed and shaking it out.

He shared a quick glance with Draco, biting on his lip.

"I'm sorry," Harry said softly before he vanished with a swish of the cloak. The door opened and shut seemingly by itself and Draco felt the pang of being completely alone as be dropped onto his bed again.

He slammed his hand against the stone wall, hurting his fist and causing him to gasp and cradle it in shock. Fury had risen in his chest when Harry had apologised- always acting like the world's problems was on his shoulders. He despised cocky, arrogant heroes.

But Harry Potter wasn't cocky. Much as Draco tried to insult him, there were some things Harry clearly wasn't. He wasn't a coward or a failure. Draco would never say Harry Potter wasn't a fool because as far as love declarations went, he'd chosen the wrong boy.

Draco lay on his bed, curling his legs and resting his hands beside his head. He traced his left hand with his right, feeling tiredness settle. He closed his eyes, not bothering to set an alarm. If we woke before midnight, he'd meet Potter in the library. If not, he'd hopefully feel rested in the morning.

_Black and grey shapes flew past his eyes and hands were grabbing him, pulling him in directions. This way, that way, down, up! He was exhausted, parched, unable to move and only be pulled._

Draco managed to open his eyes and rolled over and spread out his limbs. He wiped his brow and reached for his wand, raising his legs to feel the slight draft that cooled the sweat on his body. He sat up, feeling strangely wide awake even though he felt as if he hadn't slept at all.

"Lumos," he whispered, casting shadows around the room. The clock read eleven fifty. It wasn't too late to sneak to the library.

"Fine." Draco sighed, swinging his legs over the bed. He removed the school clothes he'd fallen asleep in; leaving the bra on because he wasn't sure he'd be able to click it on again. He pulled on another pair of black pants with a tight belt and white button up tops and slipped his feet into the shoes he'd fitted.

He made the mistake of looking at himself in the mirror. The girl that looked back hair falling out of the messy ponytail she had slept in. Her eyes were red and puffy and her lips cracked and red. If Draco had stumbled past her in the common room, he'd think her a tragic and pathetic mess.

Well, that was what he was.

Draco stowed his wand in his pocket and gently opened the bedroom door. There was still light in the common room. Gritting the back of his teeth, he crept down the corridor and peeked into the room.

A boy and girl were heavily pashing on the green couch that faced the fire, their backs to the entrances. Draco saw the boy's black hair and recognised it was David Smith from fourth year with a dark haired girl he couldn't place. Satisfied that they were distracted enough, Draco silently moved across the room and was grateful not to be forced to use the disillusionment charm.

He slipped out the exit before the couple had a chance to break apart and look. Once outside, a dim light was moving up the corridor to the main hall, casting long shadows on the cold bricks. He thought he could distinguish the shuffling noises of Filch moving along.

Draco hastened to a side-corridor which would lead him to the library from the dungeons without going through any main passages.

At first he was taken aback by the sheer darkness once he closed the door, and slowly made his way up a winding staircase. As he ventured higher, windows allowed moonlight to shine through and light his way. Draco quickened his pace as he reached the top of the staircase and exited the corridor. He came out round the corner from the library, wincing as the door creaked as he closed it.

Just as he was feeling grateful there were no ghosts around, Draco remembered who else was meant to be here. A small knot appeared in his gut when he thought about meeting with bossy Granger, who no doubt would take the time to re-establish why every wrong thing Draco had done in his life was a mistake.

The library door was unlocked and standing open for him. Draco shut the door behind himself.

Draco found the library eerily quiet during the day, but that had always been a comfort. At night it made the hair on his neck rise and ice water trickle down his spine. He crept through the aisles of books which gave the place its smell of dust and paper. As he neared the tables in the centre of the vast room Draco could hear hushed voices.

"I'm just saying he could have turned up," Granger's voice snapped. "He could try and help himself get out of the mess he's in."

Draco came to the end of the aisle and could see the back of Granger's bushy head before him. Potter glanced up at him and struggled to pull his mouth from a grin.

Hermione Granger turned around, eyes locking coldly on Draco and her mouth turning down. "About time, really," she muttered as she turned around.

Draco rolled his eyes and moved to the table. He sat at the head, an even distance from Granger and Potter. In the middle of the table were two stacks of large, ancient books and Granger had one open before her.

Before Draco could comment on being late, Granger had angled herself towards him and began to lecture.

"Malfoy, I've started to narrow down what could change your features so dramatically and I think I may be very close." Draco arched an eyebrow.

"Professor McGonagall, being a Transfiguration teacher, would have definitely been looking at your problem from a spells and charms point of view. Spells to transform a boy into a girl- or even masculine features to a more feminine look- are very, very tricky and while I've found many books that reference them-" she lifted a large red book without a cover "- they can't keep books listing the specific spells in a school library. The required level of Transfiguration would have to be learned outsides of school in a very advanced class. Therefore, impossible for a student."

She dipped her head. "Of course, Harry and I are presuming it's the work of a student given the immaturity of the act." Her eyes glided over Draco. Harry was watching Hermione with a small smile, probably thanking his stars he had someone with enough brains to do her schoolwork but with enough heart to let him copy.

Granger pointed to the book in front of her, and Draco sat up to see the title of the chapter, 'Potions for Transgendered Witches and Wizards'.

"There are many different varieties of potions which can change someone's gender," Granger explained. "Luckily, there are different ones for boys and girls, which narrows the field even more. But trying to determine some of these would take a lot of time."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked coolly. Potter had been raising his hopes that his little trio would solve his problems but now he was only reminded of the hopelessness of the situation.

Granger rolled her lips together. "Some potions are designed for a complete transformation, down to anatomy." She began to blush. "It means the male would become fully female, down to a menstrual cycle and all- but the potion I'm reading about here that's just like that must be taken every fifteen days to maintain for the first three years. Also, it takes nine months to brew, with ingredients I've barely heard of before."

Draco found his throat dry.

"Apart from that, the next shortest is the _External Feminine Transformation_. According to the book- '_The male person will become female externally over a five hour period and must take the potion every three days to sustain the transformation.' _This potion only takes five weeks to brew, but the ingredients are still very expensive and rare. They wouldn't be stored in Hogwarts, that's for certain."

Draco slumped back in the chair. Granger was looking at him in concern, and he held down a laugh. Hermione Granger feeling worried about Draco Malfoy!

"I have a strong feeling it's this one, the _External Feminine _one," Granger said, "because if you're still this way by morning it's safe to rule out everything that lasts under twenty four hours. Unfortunately though, trying the antidote is too risky and using transfiguration to change your features back is completely idiotic when you're under the influence of a potion."

Draco leaned over the table, hands flat on the desk. "Granger, are you saying I just wait three days?"

Hermione bristled under his tone. "Yes, Malfoy, that's what I'm saying. Your only hope, really, of finding the cure, is finding the potions maker."

Potter winced as Draco's look turned deadly towards Granger. "There really isn't much hope in that, Hermione, unless they come forward."

She glanced at Harry, letting out a sigh as she leaned back in her chair. "I suppose."

Draco pressed against his eyes before standing. "Well thank you," he said rudely, "for your attempt at being helpful, but I need some more sleep if I'm expected to stay standing tomorrow."

Hermione's eyes lit up and Draco gave her a queer look. "Have you been exhausted lately, or is it new?"

Draco's eyes were dark. "No, Granger, I'm always exhausted. Are we finished?" He added snappishly.

Granger crossed her arms. "No, we're not Malfoy. You're going to sit down and tell me every small little detail from the day before you woke as a girl, or you can wait three days and _then_ come tell me when you find yourself still stuck in a woman's body."

Admiring her bite, Draco slowly lowered himself into the chair and held out his empty hands. "Like what, Granger?"

She had pulled parchment from her pocket, and Harry offered her a self inking quill. She shot him a pondering look as Potter pushed the books down the table and out of the way.

"Did anything happen the day before you woke as a girl?" She settled on.

_Wednesday._

_Woke late, quick shower, arrived at Breakfast with only five minutes left. Ate half an apple- didn't drink anything._

_Had Charms, History of Magic, then Transfiguration. Ate the pasta salad and some bread at lunch. Drunk water._

_Had Defence Against the Dark Arts followed by double Potions. Retreated straight to the dormitories. Studied until Dinner._

_Drunk the pumpkin juice, and ate bean salad and bread._

_Returned to dormitories. Finished History assignment, went to bed._

Hermione pouted her lips as Draco finished his dry recount. "Did someone pour your drink for you?"

He sighed, throwing his head back because honestly, this was ridiculous. "Um… I poured my own water, and… Pansy poured the pumpkin juice for me." He hesitated for a moment. "I didn't see her do it, but she was sitting beside me." He waved a hand breezily. "It wouldn't have just appeared by itself; Pansy often pours a drink for me."

"Are you sure?"

Draco shot her a dirty look and she huffed to Harry, who was smiling with as much apology he could muster. She closed her eyes and breathed in gently.

"Well, I might look into odourless and flavourless potions too," she muttered. Draco would have quipped at her, but found himself feeling unsure about his memories; more than he'd been when telling McGonagall.

Potter was about to face plant into the book directly below him as his eyes continued to droop and head loll. Draco watched him as his head dipped low enough for his hair to brush the pages before making eye contact with Granger and nodding towards him.

Granger looked at him with a puzzled look before noticing Harry with a start. Whipping out her wand, she used _accio _to snatch Harry's glasses before his head rested on the book.

"Honestly," She said in a whisper. "He was up all last night and now he'll be tired tomorrow too."

Draco absently twirled a lock of hair. Harry was undeniably sweet, lying upon a dusty book with his cheek squished against his face.

Granger was watching him. Draco turned his eyes to her coldly, but to his shock a small smile appeared on her face. He bristled and scowled.

"Keep your thoughts to yourself, Granger," he warned he when she was about to speak. She shrugged smugly.

Draco turned to check the time: 1:40. An ache was forming behind his eyes from lack of solid sleep and having to sit in dim lighting. A glance at Granger's glazed eyes wandering over her parchment just revealed how tired she was too.

"Wake up or go to bed," Draco sighed just as she yawned. Draco couldn't help but yawn as well.

Granger wiped her eyes. "Have you told me everything?"

Draco searched his brain. "As much as I can remember, Granger, and I don't have any strange, major gaps."

She nodded and pushed back her hair from her face. "Okay, Draco, we'll call it a night." She whispered.

He frowned. "What?"

Granger glanced at him. "Hmm?"

"You called me Draco," he said coldly. It was probably the tiredness which made Granger smile shyly.

"So?" She closed the book she was reading, displaying the title- '_A Short Introduction to the Limits of Potion Making'_. "I think I've called you worse."

Draco actually chuckled, eyes travelling to Potter who might wake with a potions recipe pasted on his cheek. "He looks nearly agreeable when he's asleep," he told her dryly.

Hermione had stacked nine or ten enormous in her arms and now disappeared to put them back. Draco rested his chin on his hand and watched Harry rise and fall as he breathed.

Slowly, he moved to the chair beside Harry. While he couldn't deny the temptation to wake him as rudely as possible, he settled for lightly pressing his shoulder.

"Wake up Potter." His tone sounded much gentler than he meant it to be.

Harry blinked, sitting up from the book and rubbing his eyes. When he glanced at Draco, he felt something stir within his chest at the surprising effect Harry had without his glasses. Harry sneezed over the book before him and Draco couldn't resist giving a small smile.

Harry ruffled his hair. "Malfoy, where are my glasses?"

He tore his stare from Harry's eyes. "Ah, Granger has them."

Potter nodded sleepily, neatly folding his arms on top of the book and resting his head on them. "Thanks for coming tonight," he mumbled, "and letting us help."

Draco laughed softly, feeling too tired to stay anger and completely amazed by drowsy Harry. "Shouldn't I be thanking you? You baffle me, Potter."

Harry murmured something. Draco leaned over as he repeated it.

"Call me Harry," he whispered softly into the book.

Draco's chest constricted. He glanced up as Granger returned, wearing a small smile but a faraway sad glimmer in her eyes. She yawned again and reached over the table to brush her fingers through Harry's hair to stir him.

"Let's go to bed," she said softly, taking the book from underneath him and holding it beneath her arms. Harry stretched out his arms and accepted his glasses. He stood and stretched out his back and Draco realised he'd been watching Harry too closely and quickly turned his attention to the table instead.

"Are you going now, too?" Harry asked him.

Draco nodded and stood silently.

"Let's see the map, Hermione?" Harry said with a yawn. Draco gave him a confused look. Surely Potter knew how to make it through Hogwarts without a map?

Hermione bit down on her lip guiltily. "Oh, Harry… I need to tell you something…"

Draco shot her a queer look too, but Harry was pushing his hair from his eyes with a suddenly wide awake look of alarm. "What happened?"

Hermione dropped her face into her hands. "I was being careful, Harry, I really was. Ron and I searched for it, but… we think it may have been stolen."

Potter was rubbing his eyes now. Draco cleared his throat. "What exactly is this 'map'?"

"It's hard to explain," said Granger. "We'll just use the cloak, Harry."

Harry sighed. "I was going to check the corridors, for Draco too." Draco tried to stay indifferent to hearing his name being used to casually. "It's okay Hermione. Let's go."

Granger tapped her wand on the book under her arm, and it flew off to its place in the library. They silently moved to the library door.

"Goodnight, Draco," Harry whispered outside the library, throwing the cloak around Granger and him. Draco only nodded in reply, turning the opposite way. Without thinking, he started walking the main way back to the common room.

When he had walked down a staircase, Draco realised his mistake and considered going back to the upper floor and going back through the passage. Just as he turned, he heard a rustling and a small gasp from down the corridor.

Draco froze and felt his heart beating into his throat. Slow, soft footsteps were coming towards him from behind his back, but no one spoke. Draco took a deep breath before spinning on his heel.

The dark haired girl jumped, breathing heavily as he stared at her in amazement. She trembled slightly, hands clasped in front of her chest. Her mouth was hanging open and Draco could feel a nagging at his mind, telling him he'd seen this young girl before.

"Who are you?" He asked in a whisper, taking a few steps closer. She scuttled back a couple steps.

Draco stopped, taking in her features. Long dark hair, wide eyes, as tall as his chest and wearing no colours specific to any house. Her behaviour was too suspicious to deny.

"What's your name?" He asked again. She continued to stare, and something glimmered on her cheek.

Tears, Draco realised, were falling on her cheeks. She sniffed and took in a breath which caused her whole body to shudder.

Draco tried moving forward slowly. "Do you know who did this to me?" He asked as gently as possible.

The girl hurriedly wiped her eyes and gave a sharp nod. Draco moved closer and was feeling surer and surer that he'd seen this girl before. As she ran a hand through her hair, the knotted mess of the top part brought back a memory.

"You were in the Slytherin common room," Draco realised with a jolt, "Kissing Smith in the common room."

The girl's eyes widened and she trembled under his gaze. Draco found a dark fury growing inside of him but tried desperately to push it down.

She squeaked, and Draco cocked his head in puzzlement. Her hands were twisting and grabbing at each other and she still hadn't looked away from him. Her chest was rapidly pounding up and down as she struggled to breathe steadily.

Draco looked down at his feet and composed himself. As he raised his head, the girl made a choking noise.

"E-Eloise," she managed to say, before she began to uncontrollably sob. She spun around and ran away.

He pursued her, rounding the corner in a sprint and racing down the corridor. She had a head start though and after scaling a staircase, the staircase moved and stopped Draco from following her.

He skidded to a stop, panting heavily as he saw her hair flick around a bend. She wasn't returning to the Slytherin dormitory, and Draco had a strong feeling she wasn't in his house. He felt as if he was forgetting something- possibly another time he'd run into her before.

'_Eloise.'_ The name didn't ring any bells.

Why was she crying? Draco wondered as he hurried back to his dormitory. Perhaps she knew who had made the potion, but was unable to say anything. Then again, perhaps Smith had dumped her after Draco left, and she was an emotional wreck. It was hard to be optimistic.

He made it to his room without running into any ghost, teacher or more students and considered it the luckiest thing to happen to him all year. As he dropped onto his bed, he found himself wide awake when he remembered something with a jolt.

When he'd been waiting outside McGonagall's office and the one student had stopped and stared. It had been the dark haired girl from tonight.

She was in Ravenclaw.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I love you all! Thanks for reading everyone, please enjoy this chapter, and I would love to hear your thoughts. Please, please review! ~Phe :)

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><p>Draco woke uncomfortably, slowly remembering the details of the previous day. Viola arrived at his room, sympathetic to still see him still as a girl, and offered him another bra in exchange for the one he'd worn the day before. Without asking she quickly pulled it on for him too. He and Viola seemed to have reached a new level in their friendship.<p>

He dressed in a hurry, telling Viola to let Pansy know he'd be going to breakfast early as she left his room. He checked himself in the mirror, and ran his hands through his hair a couple times before pulling on his tie as he left the room.

The common room was emptier by far than the previous day. A couple boys nodded at him with wide grins and two girls giggled in the corner. Draco glanced around for Smith, but no fourths years were yet to appear. He heard Angela's voice echoing from the girl's dormitories, and hurried out the door and to the Great Hall.

When he entered, it was still relatively early and he only had small hope he'd find someone he could speak too. He first searched the faces on the Ravenclaw table and didn't find it surprising that the girl he'd met in the corridor wasn't there. He turned to the Gryffindor table and couldn't believe the actual relief that washed over him when he spotted Hermione Granger seated beside Weasley.

Granger was reading from a three foot parchment, very likely the History of Magic homework due today. Draco tried to stroll towards them casually, but he could feel several teachers and students watching him curiously.

Ron saw him approaching, his eyebrows high on his forehead. He poked his girlfriend, who turned around and gave him a questioning look.

"What is it, Malfoy?" She asked politely when he'd stopped beside them.

"I ran into someone last night," he said quickly. "I've seen her around a couple times, but I don't know her name." He nodded to the table under the blue and bronze hangings. "I think she's a third year in Ravenclaw."

Granger's mouth was hanging open a little. "You met her after leaving the library?"

He nodded. "She was in the corridor and she started crying when I tried to talk to her."

"Are you sure that wasn't because you scared her?" Weasley supplied. Draco rolled his eyes and clenched his fists.

"She just appeared from around the corner, and she wouldn't answer any questions and began to cry hysterically. Before she ran away, she said 'Eloise'."

Hermione tapped a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Could that be her name? Eloise?"

Draco shrugged. "I don't think so- she kind of choked it out." He paused, the girl's face now imprinted in his mind. "Like it was painful."

Weasley was looking at him as if he'd gone mental. Draco chewed on his lip in frustration.

"Look," he huffed, "there is a girl in Ravenclaw who knows what's happened to me. She's small, this tall-" he held a hand at his chest height "-has dark hair past her shoulder and she's a third year."

"Who is this?"

Draco turned to see Harry standing behind him. He wrenched his eyes away from Potter' face.

Ron leaned back to speak to Harry. "There's a girl that might know something. Malfoy ran into her last night… or something." He shrugged and tucked into the eggs on his plate.

Draco forced himself to turn back to Harry, who was staring at him with wide eyes behind his glasses. "You met a girl in the corridors after you left the library?"

He nodded and Harry frowned. "Let's find her and talk to her then," he said.

Draco sighed. Gryffindors. Head first into adventure without a single thought of wary. This was what made them all so frustrating.

"She was very emotional. Something might be wrong," Draco admitted. Harry gave a confused look and he elaborated. "She was crying hysterically."

Harry hesitated. "Did… you _make_ her cry?"

Draco felt a flush of heat on his face. "No, Potter, I didn't," he said harshly. "Are you going to help me find her or not?"

Potter barely flinched at Draco's snapping tone, giving a warm smile instead. "Of course. Dark haired, Ravenclaw third year. Got it." He grinned, almost cheekily.

Someone placed their hands on Draco's hips from behind him, causing him to jump and make a wordless sound in surprise. The Gryffindor table erupted with laughter as Ginny popped her head around his shoulder, hands still on his waist and wearing a sinful grin.

"Morning Malfoy," Ginny said cheerily. She pouted at the Potter's glowering expression. "I really _really _couldn't resist, Harry."

Draco shoved her hands off his hips. "Stay off me, Weasley," he told her darkly. Ginny just shrugged and winked.

"Better me than Angela, right?" The youngest Weasley giggled and tossed her hair as she walked down the table to find a seat beside her friends.

Draco fumed, but kept any comments he would have made to himself. He really did wonder though, why Potter or Weasley hadn't leashed her long ago, the sneaky minx. By Ron's snickering however, he'd enjoyed her stunt.

Ginny's arrival reminded Draco of the growing population in the Great Hall. He glanced around and cringed at the amount of students slowly trickling in through the door.

"I'm going outside," Draco said aloud. He didn't know why he wanted the Potter, Granger or Weasley to know, but he felt obliged too.

Harry was there when he turned around. "Would you mind if I came too?"

Did Draco mind? He glanced into Potter's brilliant eyes and found his answer. "Not at all."

Draco searched the Ravenclaw table as he strode down the hall, Harry Potter behind him. It was certainly a little stirring for other students and several were pointing and murmuring to themselves. Draco turned back at the grand door to see Harry reach over and grab two apples from the Gryffindor table. He shot him a grin and threw the fruit his way.

Not trusting his reflexes, Draco caught it in two hands. Harry nodded at the Ravenclaw table.

"Do you see her?"

Draco shook his head, and side by side they walked from the Hall to the grounds. Draco glanced somewhat guiltily at the wall dedicated the battle against Voldemort victims. Harry was eagerly munching on his apple so Draco took a small bite despite his lack of appetite.

"Where did you run into her?" Harry asked, leading them to a small bench overlooking the lake.

"On the third floor- the corridor with that large painting of the little girl in the green dress." Draco stood beside the bench while Harry dropped onto it. "She said 'Eloise'."

"Her name?" Harry tried. Draco shook his head, apple raised to his mouth.

"No, it was the way she said it…" He sighed and sat beside Harry on bench. "She was crying and just… choked it out, really."

He met Potter's gaze and saw the concern. "I'm not going mad," Draco said mildly.

Harry laughed. "No, I don't think you are, but how would she know where you were when it was so late? And it's even stranger if she' a third year in Ravenclaw."

Draco nibbled on the edge of the apple, quite tired of all the over-thinking and analysing he'd been doing lately. He watched a morning jogger approaching from the west.

"What was this map you were talking about?" Draco asked to break the silence.

Harry sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "It's this magical map… my dad and his friends made it, years ago when they were at Hogwarts. It shows where people are- oh!"

Potter jumped around to grab Draco's shoulders. Normally, Draco was quite opposed to physical contact, but the look on Harry's face as things clicked together was too full of excitement to interrupt. Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact he was Harry Potter and that a small part of his chest fluttered when he touched him.

"My map shows where people are at Hogwarts," Harry exclaimed. "If the girl had it, she would know where you are at any exact moment!"

Draco tried to understand what exactly this map could do. It did sound like…

"You mean this map is the same thing as the magical paper thing people said you had?" Harry looked puzzled. "There was a rumour you had a special paper which let you know when someone was approaching you," Draco explained hastily. His ears burned slightly, as Harry's face showed a little delight that Draco had paid attention to- and remembered- a three year rumour.

"Hermione lost the map four days ago," Harry explained, "And was keeping it a secret from me. The Ravenclaw girl could have taken it."

Draco paused. Was it too simple? His attention shifted when the jogging figure was only a couple feet away, and he had to double-take to realise it was Rosemary.

He stood and waved to her. Rosemary hesitated for slowly to a stop and approaching, giving Harry a wary look.

"This is Rosemary," Draco explained to Harry, "She's in third year." He stopped, looking at her in shock. "You're in third year!" He said again in surprise.

Rosemary gave him a strange look. "Yes… I am."

Draco shook his head and stood up. Harry was glancing from Rosemary to Draco and occasionally down to his apple in bewilderment.

He held up one finger in front of Rosemary. "First: go have some breakfast," Draco told her. "Second: does the name Eloise mean anything to you?"

Rosemary blinked, crossing her arms. "Eloise? Why?" She looked at Harry for advice, who merely grinned sheepishly.

"I heard a Ravenclaw girl say it." Draco snapped.

Her face dropped, and Rosemary raised both hands to her lips. "Oh, no…" She shook her head in shock, stumbling back a couple steps. "Oh, Eloise…"

Harry jumped up in surprise, gently reaching out to her. "What is it?"

Rosemary couldn't tear herself from Draco's stunned look. He could feel unease churning in his stomach as she shivered.

"Oh, Draco…" Rosemary looked him up and down. "Oh, everything makes so much sense." Tears sprung to her eyes and Draco took some sudden long step to clutch her arm. In surprise, her hand shot out to grasp Harry for support.

"Who is she?" He asked insistently. A tear dropped from Rosemary's eyes.

She gasped for a breath of air. "You'll find her outside the Great Hall," she whispered, clinging to Potter's arm. "I can't… Draco, I'm sorry but…"

Draco dropped her arm and stepped back, feeling his insides filled with black dread. He looked into Harry's eyes, who still looked confused. Of course he was, though. Potter didn't feel the shame every time he walked into the Great Hall, glistening from the opposite wall. Harry wouldn't be as painfully conscious as he was.

Just as Draco was thinking that, Harry's eyes lit up before dropping darkly, and Draco knew he had realised it. Without a world, they turned and sped up the grounds to the castle.

Harry could have easily outrun Draco, but he stayed with him until they skidded to a stop outside the Hall. Draco spun around, dropping his head right back to see the words upon the plain, golden Hogwarts crest.

"_**In memory of those who died valiantly in the battle at Hogwarts against the dark forces of Voldemort- May 1998."**_

Draco's hands were trembling as he searched over the plaques upon the wall. Fixed columns going down the wall. Each golden rectangle had a name inscribed on the top half with a year of birth on the bottom left corner and a house crest on the bottom right. Crabbe, nor any other death eater, had a name on the wall.

Draco shuddered whenever he spotted the brown Raven on the blue crest, but he was yet to spot the right name. But his eyes fell to a plaque in the fourth column, second from the bottom at the height of his stomach.

Beside the Ravenclaw crest was the year 1985. Draco's mouth was dry when he pointed the name out to Harry. _Eloise Pierre._

Draco's knees nearly collapsed and he was thankful for Harry's steadying hand gripping his shoulder. A symphony of cluttering noise was echoing in Draco's head, and he realised it was the sound of the Great Hall behind him, filling his ears with thundering noise.

Draco licked his lips and turned to Harry. "I need to see her," he whispered, and frantically ran a hand through his blonde hair. "Now."

Harry's strong green eyes held all of Draco's attention as he nodded simply and gently. "Okay. We'll go to the library, but we should get Hermione."

Draco shivered and nodded his head a couple times too many. Harry's hand slipped down his arm and took his hand in his. Draco clutched to it, holding onto something solid and real as he closed his eyes and breathed in shakily.

"Draco?" Harry whispered. He opened his eyes and found those beautiful green ones full of emotion.

Harry was nodding. "I'm going to get Hermione, and we're going to the library. Wait here."

Draco nodded, unable to form anymore words. After a moment of hesitation, Harry raised his linked hand and kissed the back of Draco's hand softly. Then he dropped it and was gone.

Draco counted his breaths til Harry returned. In, out. 1. In, out. 2. He closed his eyes and clutched his hands to his chest, because everything had clicked together perfectly in his mind, and he was so afraid to be right.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This isn't the end! Well... I do have a little left after this chapter- but I guess you could call this the resolution. So stick around! Please enjoy this chapter, and please please review! :) Lots of love, Phoebe

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><p>Harry was holding Draco's hand as they entered the library and Hermione led them straight to the past students records. Ron was beside his girlfriend's shoulder, holding onto the records she pulled out.<p>

Hermione muttered to herself as she browsed the files. "Petters, Pettigrew-" (she grimaced) "-Phoney, Pierce… Pierre!" She wrenched the file from the cabinet and headed to the nearest table.

Hermione sat at the head of the table and Draco dropped down beside her still clutching Harry as a lifeline. Weasley hovered behind Granger and read over her shoulder.

She opened the file, taking out the school records on top. With a gasp, Hermione dropped the folder.

"What is it?" Harry asked, leaning over the desk. Ron had gone white.

Hermione met Draco's gaze sadly, looking over his features carefully. She pulled a rectangle piece of paper from the folder and turned it to face him.

It was a photograph of a thirteen year old girl in the school uniform. Her blonde hair was loosely tied in a ponytail and her light blue eyes were shining with delight. Eloise smiled sweetly and waved at Draco before her hands returned to fiddling with her Ravenclaw tie.

"It's…" Harry fumbled with his words. "She looks like you… down to the eyes..."

Draco shook his head. "I look like her." He glanced down at himself and back into the eyes of the three around him. "It's not a potion that changes your gender. It's something like the polyjuice potion."

Hermione nodded, reaching back to grab Ron's hand. "I may know who's done this," she whispered, swallowing thickly. "There's a Ravenclaw girl in my study class on Sunday's. She doesn't need to study- she's brilliant- but I think I know where the Marauder's Map has gone."

As she gathered the file and returned it to the cabinet, Draco realised he was inflicting pain on Harry with his gripping hand. Releasing it suddenly, Harry winced but watched him closely as he rubbed his sore hand.

Draco found it surreal to be swept into Potter's little trio as they headed to the Ravenclaw common room. Just as they arrived a loud bell rang to signify the start of classes. Students began to exit the common room door and one blonde girl who appeared waved at them gladly.

"Hello everyone," Luna Lovegood breezily greeted, stepping away from the flow of students. "You look pretty, Draco. Have you found out who you are yet?" Her eyes blinked innocently.

He looked at her in shock. "Eloise Pierre, right?" Luna smiled, always a little too crazy for Draco to tolerate.

"That's right. She was a nice girl." Her eyes travelled to Harry. "What are you doing here, then?"

Harry turned to Hermione, who said, "Luna, we need to know where the third years have class now."

Luna looked over her should before she reached over and tapped the arm of a boy with shaggy brown hair who had just stepped from the common room.

"Where are you going now, Fond?" Luna asked him politely. Fond locked eyes on Potter, mouth hanging agape.

"Uh…" He glanced from Luna to Harry. "I have History of Magic."

"Thank you!" Hermione said, pulling them down the stairs without hesitation. Harry pulled Draco along by his arm as they headed to Professor Binn's classroom on the fourth floor. They stopped beside the classroom door, and Weasley turned to Harry.

"McGonagall's going to kill us for skipping class," he panted, glancing at Draco. "Hermione will go crazy later, too."

Granger had ducked her head into the classroom. "Excuse me Professor," she tried quietly. "Erm, Excuse me Professor!"

Binn's, as deaf as he was dead, heard her on her third try. Hermione sighed happily. "Could I please see Kara Cohen? Thanks."

She stepped away from the door, locking eyes and nodding at Harry. A small girl appeared at the door, her dark hair plaited down her back and a book clutched to her chest. She saw Draco and the book slipped from her hands and the noise made everyone but Draco and Kara flinch.

Hermione placed her arms on Kara's shoulders, just as Harry was gripping Draco as if he expected him to faint. Draco stared into the girl's wide brown eyes as the tears filled them and she dropped into Hermione's chest, covering her face as she sobbed.

The last sane man, Ron Weasley, gingerly shut the classroom door and lead the other four down the corridor were wooden benches rested against the wall. Harry sat down and pulled Draco down beside him. Hermione hesitated, before gently moving Kara so she sat beside Draco and kneeling in front of her.

Everyone was silent for five or so minutes as Kara sobbed and trembled. Hermione waved her wand and appeared a box of tissues, wiping the occasional tear from her own eyes.

After several tissues were scrunched in Kara's hands, her breath lost its shudder and she was able to look at Draco without falling apart.

Kara licked her lips. "I- I- I'm sorry," she whispered to Draco. "I'm sorry," she said again, turning to Ron and Hermione and Harry.

Hermione nodded. "It's okay Kara." She rubbed her arm soothingly.

From her robes, Kara pulled a rectangle wad of paper which she held out to Harry. Grinning, Harry took the paper and looked ready to hug it to his chest.

"Thanks," Harry said, glancing over the blank paper. "I…um, I hope it served you well," he added awkwardly. Draco rolled his eyes. Harry Potter- always attempting politeness and classiness but always just an awkward fool instead.

Kara looked into Draco's eyes for a long time. He nodded slowly.

"You wanted to see her again." He spoke softly, voice flowing like lace despite the emotion lodged in his throat. "You wanted to pretend she was whole and living and _real_."

She nodded and caught herself before the tears fell again. "She was my-" Deep breath. "-best friend. When I was in first year, we all used to say… that Draco Malfoy in Slytherin could pass as her brother…" Her lips trembled as she pressed a tissue to her eyes.

Unsure, Draco reached out and held her hand. Silence settled for a good ten minutes, and Kara was soon dry of all her tears. She turned to Hermione to begin her explanation, which was probably best since Granger would no doubt remember everything. Draco was slightly distracted in his thoughts; spinning from the plain sorrow for the mere thirteen year old murdered girl he was disguised as to the slight worry of why Harry's gentle touch seemed so comforting.

Kara's fingers unthreaded her plait as she spoke, running her fingers through her own air as a comfort. "My mother works in the Ministry section 'Advanced Experimental Potion making', making new potions. During the Christmas holidays I stole a recipe and a sample for a new type of Polyjuice potion they were developing. It lasts longer and works on memories to create the image of a person. It was- was kind of- very dangerous to test it, I'm s-so sorry Malfoy." She began to plait her hair again.

"It took me two months to perfect- it needs to brew for only two weeks- and on the day I finished the batch, I saw the Map in Hermione's bag at the study sessions she runs… and I just took it."

Hermione made a soothing noise. "Its okay, its okay," she whispered to Kara.

"I-I… Well, I used the map, cast a spell to make the potion taste like pumpkin juice, and snuck into the kitchens before dinner and had the house-elves put it in the goblet that would appear before Malfoy."

Draco shook his head in awe. "You're not just brilliant, Kara, you're a genius."

"It's a little scary," Weasley mumbled.

"What about last night?" Harry asked.

Kara turned bright red. "Oh… w-well… I was waiting outside the common room late at night because I was going to sneak in… and then Filch was coming down the hallway, and then David Smith was going into the common room…" She buried her face in her hands. "He said he'd let me in if I gave him a kiss." She laughed nervously.

Hermione frowned, turning to Weasley disapprovingly to wipe the grin from his face. Draco considered scolding Smith later, but realised he would have offered the same in his fourth year and cringed at the resemblance.

Kara looked down at her lap, a small smile on her face. "Malfoy, the potion only last forty-eight hours from the time it kicks in, which is four hours after consumption. You should wake up tomorrow and be… back to normal."

Draco leaned back in a relief which turned his body numb. He gave a contented sigh until he realised he was leaning against something soft- Harry's shoulder. Draco straightened, glancing at the stupid grin plastered on Harry's face from under his lashes. Kara's cheeks had brightened as she looked at Draco curiously.

There was more silence, but this time it was pleasant. Harry was rubbing the back of Draco's hand with his thumb and Draco found he didn't want it to stop.

With a gasp, Hermione jumped to her feet and grasped her face. "Oh! I completely forgot about class! We're late!" She rounded on Ron, who was going pink in the ears and smiling sheepishly. "Ron! You should have reminded me!"

"I guess we should get to class," Draco muttered begrudgingly. Kara's eyes snapped to his.

"W-Will… w-well… I guess…" she glanced at her lap again. "When do you want to report me to Professor McGonagall?"

Draco smiled, raising an eyebrow coyly. "I don't really see any reason not to." He paused. "Apart from the fact that I'll be fine by tomorrow morning, you're too brilliant to face expulsion," He glanced at Harry and winked, "And I'm afraid I can't remember your name anymore." Kara looked at him in confusion, until a wide smile spread on her face and to his great shock, she threw her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in her best friend's neck. After Draco's shock disapperated, he hugged her back.

From over Kara's shoulder, Draco looked up at Granger's wide smile as she was leaning against Weasley's shoulder. Ron was grinning, almost approvingly to Draco's actions. Draco gave a small roll of his eyes, but threaded his fingers softly through Kara's hair as she began to cry again. He turned his head slightly to see Harry's wide grin and sparkling green eyes.

Despite everything Draco had felt in a mere day and a morning, he was dimly aware that being turned into Eloise Pierre was the best thing that had happened to him.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Read this! There is one more chapter to come! Basically, the complication might be finished, but I couldn't help myself from tying everything together. So please stick around for the Epilogue, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review! ~Phe

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><p>McGonagall didn't seem furious, but rather intrigued when the golden trio of the wizarding world entered her class with only five minutes to go in the company of the infamous boy from Slytherin. Her eyebrows were high on her forehead at their flimsy excuses of being in the library and losing track of time, but she didn't say anything or even call them back after class.<p>

While Draco was the object of mockery for the rest of the day, he felt as if he was on the inside of the joke, knowing it would end by next morning. He found Rosemary in the common room to reassure her that everything was going to be okay, and ask that she'd stay quiet about the whole mess. Kara had revealed that the whole Ravenclaw house had sworn to stay silent the previous night. No one had known it was Kara's doing, but many had recognised Eloise's face, and suspected someone from the house had been the perputrator. Draco was always baffled by the inner workings of Ravenclaw house; they refused to succumb to the politics that normally ran Hogwarts.

At dinner that night, Draco found himself constantly sharing glances with a particularly gleeful boy on the Gryffindor table. After a while, Draco found himself laughing too hard to finish his meal, and he laughed even harder when Pansy grew irritated when he wouldn't explain what was so humorous.

He didn't even know what was so funny, but Harry Potter was laughing just as hard and baffling his knot of Gryffindor friends.

That night Draco went to bed early, but not before giving Angela a surprise kiss on the cheek. ("You little twat!" She'd called after him.) He woke smiling. He tussled his short, blonde hair and ran a hand from his shoulders to his chest, and then down below the waistline with a victorious laugh.

The common room roared when Draco entered with a smug smile. Everyone seemed to have crowded in when Viola had returned from his room with red cheeks and a slight inability to speak coherently. From on top another girl's lap, Angela was regarding him with a sly grin before dipping back to give her girlfriend a light kiss. Rosemary caught his eye from her knot of friends, clapping her hands together lightly.

Pansy just rolled her eyes as Draco revelled in the twenty minute attention his house granted him. When the house arrived at breakfast the school was already filled with murmurs and rumours of how Draco broke the 'curse'.

His favourite was that he apparently was a real girl and he'd run out of his switching-potion and had to wait two days to get more. His least favourite was the rumour he had partaken in an ancient magic ritual at midnight, bathing under the stars, or standing naked in the forbidden forest. Some ridiculously overimaginative first year must have invented that one- or Seamus Finnegan.

Harry's and Draco's first date was that very weekend, on the Sunday. It was an interesting day, as they headed to Hogsmeade together and spent most of their time talking and joking around. At the end of the day, Harry had initiated their first kiss, and Draco had stolen three. They met Ron and Hermione at the Hogs Head, hair a little flustered smiles on their faces and hands linked together. Aberforth gave them a shake of his head, a disapproving look, and free drinks to celebrate.

They kept it a secret relationship for four playful weeks of sneaking behind their other friends and classmates. Draco found the prospect of forbidden love alluring, but Harry often whined about how he wanted to spend all his time by his side. 'Why can't we eat together too?'

There secret romance ended the day Gryffindor was playing Slytherin in Quidditch. Draco had avoided the games all year, but Harry had begged him to come and the prospect of watching him fly was too tempting. Draco should have seen the mischievous glimpse in Harry's eyes when he promised to be right at the front of the crowd, but his mouth was too busy planting kisses along his arm and neck for good luck in the game.

Draco stood between Pansy and Blaise and watched the Slytherin team shoot from the locker rooms in their striking green robes. He clapped lightly as the crowd around him roared in support, laughing when the soft-voiced Viola let out an excited scream that nearly burst Pansy's ears. Viola turned the colour of a beetroot, but yelled again when captain Vaisey dropped beside them and pulled Blaise in for a heated kiss while she hovered mid-air. The other spectators laughed and called out to her, many of the boys whistling wildly. Aimee pulled away from Blaise, tossed her hair and waved out to the crowd in delight as she took her place above the field.

"_Slytherin Captain taking a good luck kiss from her boyfriend, there," _Seamus Finnegan's voice announced over the speakers. "_Zabini's got himself a tough girl- you wouldn't find me getting in an argument with Slytherin's villainous, vivacious Vaisey!"_

With a whoosh, the Gryffindor team appeared in blazing red outfits. Draco applauded no louder than anyone in his house but could feel his heart bursting from his chest with the knowledge that the handsome seeker belonged to _him_.

He jumped however when Harry then dropped in front of him, hovering in the air with the stupidest grin across his face. Pansy and Blaise appeared in shock and the polite cheers from Slytherin vanished.

Draco shook his head but was grinning too widely to be efficient in scowling at him properly. Harry shrugged, moving a little closer and Draco began to find it too irresistible.

"Fuck it," Draco yelled out, grabbing the front of Harry's robes and kissing him hard. He slipped his tongue into Harry's mouth, just enough to make him breathless without making him dizzy enough to drop from his broom. With his lips connected to his boy, all he could hear was white noise echoing in his ears.

Harry and Draco broke the kiss in wide smiles. A deafening roar had begun from the Gryffindor barracks, and just a moment after Slytherin cheered with matching enthusiasm.

"_And the famous Harry Potter has stolen a kiss from the equally infamous Draco Malfoy!" _Seamus roared. "_Looks like Harry has claimed the Slytherin's prince as his tonight; ladies and gentlemen take note! Ow! That was appropriate, ma'am!"_

Draco shoved Harry lightly, who was laughing and leaning in for a second kiss. Draco granted him another one eagerly and when they broke apart Ginny Weasley had dropped down beside them to pull Harry away.

"We kinda need to borrow him!" She yelled at Draco as they took to the sky.

Pansy rounded on him with her mouth wide enough to fit a quaffle. "Bastard!" She yelled, slapping his arm but grinning like a fool. "You fucking bastard!" Blaise grabbed him from behind, yelling in his ear and jumping with more joy than he'd displayed when Aimee had snogged him.

Gryffindor won the game, forty points ahead. Harry had snatched the snitch from above the teacher's area, nearly taking out Slughorn when he'd dipped low. The cheering was wild, as the match closed Gryffindor's hold on the Quidditch cup.

Harry appeared outside the Slytherin common room before dinner. Angela was the one to talk to him when he first knocked, apparently asking how good Draco was in bed. When Draco appeared flanked by Pansy and Blaise, Harry was clutching his sides in laughter.

"That girl is wicked," He murmured against Draco's mouth when she'd disappeared inside and Draco greeted him properly. One hand of Harry's wrapped around Draco's waist while the other traced circles up his arm. "Since we're public," Harry laughed and Draco pressed his forehead to Harry's. "I thought we'd be able to have dinner together tonight."

"Excuse me," Pansy called out. "But maybe we're not going to give Draco to Gryffindor so easily."

Draco gave her a pointed glare, but found the corners of his mouth turn up when he turned back to Harry. "She's right," he declared. "If you want to eat together tonight…" Draco brushed his fingers on the back of Harry's neck. Harry's eyes popped wide but Draco knew where to brush his fingers and soon Harry was pulling Draco into another kiss.

The roar of the Gryffindor students when Harry and Draco entered holding hands shook the Great Hall. Finnegan was jumping up and down and Dean Thomas stood beside him, just as eagerly yelling out. McGonagall nodded at them from her chair, a smile tugging at her lips.

Harry pulled Draco over to his table, hugging Hermione and clapping Ron on the back. After a moment hesitation between them, Hermione threw her arms around Draco and hugged him tightly. Harry and Ron laughed at the astonished look on Draco's face before he hugged her back. She jumped off pf him, blushing to the tips of her hair but Draco smiled at her and shook Ron's hand- but pushed off Seamus when he tried to hug him too.

After the reception at the Gryffindor table, Draco gave everyone a coy grin as he pulled Harry away. The Slytherin students seemed confused at first, then quite jubilant when Draco pulled Harry onto the bench beside him, planting him next to Blaise.

Draco caught Kara's eyes from on the Ravenclaw table, who was staring at him with eyes wider than he'd seen before and a grin from ear to ear. Draco raised his goblet of pumpkin juice in her direction, mouthing "Thankyou" before he drank. Kara seemed ready to burst as she grinned even wider and fell onto her friend beside her. Draco chuckled to himself, puzzling Harry and his friends around him, but not bothering to explain himself.

The party which rocked Gryffindor tower was wild that night, and Draco knew because he'd been dragged along by his ridiculous yet irresistible boyfriend. Butterbeer flowed and the Gryffindor students chanted their war cry and hoisted the Quidditch team into the air. Draco laughed freely, standing beside Harry's leg as he yelped from atop Neville's shoulders. Ginny was waving wildly from Dean's shoulders and hopped down to throw her arms around the boy and snogged him breathless.

After an hour Harry pulled Draco upstairs, into his dormitory bedroom and locked the door. Carefree and hyped on energy, Harry and Draco ran kisses over each other's bodies. Draco pushed Harry onto the closest bed and kissed him on the mouth as he felt beneath Harry's pants. He proceeded to show Harry how much he'd liked watching him fly, by slowly moving his mouth below Harry's waistline, and making him yell his name and pound his fists against the headboard. That hour was the first time they said their 'I love you's to each other- not that it hadn't been blatantly obvious before.

Later Draco would learn it was Longbottom's bed which they were on, which Draco found hilarious and Harry found quite embarrassing. They didn't tell Neville themselves, but it was Seamus who overheard Ron telling Dean and then proceeded to tell everyone in earshot over breakfast. Draco apologised by sending Neville four valuable books on Herbology from the Malfoy library, which settled their friendship and was nearly enough to forgive for several years of mistreatment. They were quite rare books.

Draco could hardly believe how gracefully he was swept into Gryffindor as an adopted house mate. He was even more baffled by how readily Slytherin house allowed Harry to be in his common room. On the Gryffindor side, Ginny was a constant tease- one that he tolerated with some amusement. Harry always enjoyed snuggling beside Draco in the warm, welcoming red common room and Seamus and Dean enjoyed laughing about it until Draco glared them down.

When Harry visited the dungeon common room, Draco normally tried to pull him into his room as fast as possible before anyone pounced. Stubborn saviour boy, however, would stop and chat to Angela if she was hanging around in the room, or smile and greet Pansy, Blaise or even Aimee who he had respect for as a fellow Quidditch Captain.

They spent more time in Draco's room though, than in the actual common room area. Once when Draco had pulled Harry onto the bed, a rasping sound had escaped his lips.

Draco broke the kiss, staring up at Harry's face. "Was that…"

Harry's face was all red. "Sorry. I was looking at that crest of the snake on the wall."

Draco could have laughed until his sides hurt- especially regarding Harry's guilty look- but he sucked on Harry's neck and whispered, "Say something again."

Harry groaned longingly, whispering another bout of parseltongue as Draco unbuttoned his chest and kissed down it. It became a tease for Harry, to whisper something unknown in the hissing tongue when they were out at the Three Broomsticks or sitting in large groups in the common rooms. Draco had a way to fight back by brushing his fingers along the spot just below his hair at the back of his neck. Harry would shoot Draco a deadly grin, and later nibble on his ear as they were lying on a bed or couch alone. Draco gasped whenever Harry did that, as almost more pleasant than Harry's fingers roaming his body in lust.

Draco's final year at Hogwarts was the best year he'd ever had at school.


	11. Epilogue

A/N: That's it, everyone. Thanks so much for reading, at it would mean the world to me if you please reviewed. Lots of love! ~Phoebe

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><p>While Draco found himself feeling more and more comfortable around Hermione and Ron- and sometimes Ginny- he was still amazed when Harry informed him of his invitation to the Weasley's home to celebrate the end of the school year. Lying in Harry's arms the night before they would leave Hogwarts, Draco admitted how nervous he was. Kissing his forehead, Harry told him there was nothing to worry about and Draco fell asleep with Harry's hand running through his hair.<p>

The morning was a rush. Breakfast was full of students running from one end of the Great Hall to the other to bid goodbyes. Ginny and Seamus released sparkling, whizzing fireworks into the air above the Ravenclaw table, throwing their arms around Draco and claiming it was a tribute to the girl who'd bought Draco and Harry together. Draco didn't believe a word of it, assuming they had only wanted to annoy the polite, proper studentsof the house.

Somehow, Draco found himself in the largest cabin the train had. He looked around in wonder when he entered, from Ron, Hermione, Neville, Dean and Ginny on one side to Pansy, Aimee and Blaise who smiled innocently at Draco. Harry laughed at Draco's shock, kissing him on the cheek and sitting beside him with the other Slytherins.

The train ride was eventful, from Pansy telling a story of hearing noises coming from Draco's room while in the common room to Hermione explaining the arithmancy behind potion development to an intruiged Blaise. Harry leaned against Draco for most of the ride, running a hand along Draco's leg and whispering things here and there. Pansy took the time to describe them as 'sickening', which Neville meekly defended as them being 'sweet'.

On the train station, after fumbling with bags and finding all their property, there was a mixture of farewells. Draco gave Pansy and Blaise deep hugs, even giving one to Aimee to her surprise. The Gryffindors nodded and shook hands with the Slytherins as the three of them moved away to find their families.

Just as Draco turned back to Harry, he caught sight of Rosemary in the crowd. She was waving and supporting a little toddler boy on her hip that must have been her younger brother. Draco waved back and pointed her out to Harry.

Arthur Weasley was standing beside a muggle couple, chatting quite enthusiastically when the group approached. Neville waved goodbye and headed through the barrier to meet his grandmother outside.

Ginny gave her dad a hug. Arthur greeted everyone warmly, apart from the curt nod he gave Draco. Draco's hand found Harry's and squeezed tightly, feeling nauseated in his stomach. Harry held his hand the car ride back to the burrow where Draco was squished beside Ginny's boyfriend. Dean leaned over to whisper in Draco's ear.

"It'll be all right, really," Dean said reassuringly. "I'm in the same boat as you, mate."

Draco smiled at him, but didn't feel any better. Dean wasn't the son of a death eater, and he hadn't been on the wrong side of the war- a war that had killed one of their sons.

The car stopped at a house Draco couldn't have imagined. It wasn't pathetic or poor, as his younger self would have described, but homey and comforting. Harry gave a wide smile when he saw the small grin on his face.

Molly came running out the front door, kissing and hugging Ron and Ginny first, pulling them in despite their objections and moans. Next she hugged Hermione, asking a word or two about her parents and nodding and patting her back lovingly. She pecked Dean's cheek and hugged Harry like he was her own son.

"Teddy's staying with his grandmother tonight," she told him happily. "He's becoming quite smart; he can unlatch the door all by himself!"

When Harry had been released, Molly regarded Draco without a smile. She looked him up and down and hovered her gaze over his hand linked to Harry's. Draco swallowed thickly, feeling everyone's eyes on him. Molly shook her head as her mouth broke into a smile and she pulled Draco into a tight hug.

"It's all right dear," she whispered in his ear, only for him to hear. "That's all history." She pulled back and patted his shoulders before turning on everyone. "Now you all get your things upstairs right away," she told them. As she stepped through the front door she turned back and pointed right at Draco and gave Ron a stern look. "Now don't you leave him alone with Ginny or George tonight, Ronald!" She shot Ginny a look before disappearing into the house.

Ginny disappeared somewhere with Dean as Draco followed Harry, Hermione and Ron up the tight staircase. He had no idea where he was going to be sleeping that night, when Ron threw open a door on a landing and nodded everyone inside.

A double mattress was on the floor, and a single bed against the wall. Hermione continued upstairs to Ginny's bedroom and Draco looked at Harry with large eyes.

Harry grinned and nodded, dropping his bag at the end of the mattress. Draco took a moment to admire Ron's room, taking note of the large Chudley Cannons posters family photographs. Ron looked a little embarrassed as he watched Draco's wandering eyes, but Draco just turned to him and smiled. One thing the Gryffindors had discovered, Draco had a quite dazzling smile whenever he truly meant it, and Ron was able to grin back just as cheerfully.

"It's not much, but it's home," Ron put it simply. Draco couldn't agree more.

Draco was swept into work without any warning when he, Harry and Ron returned downstairs. Molly instructed Harry and him to peel several potatoes, which Draco had never done before. Harry showed him kindly, albeit chuckling at him and while Draco found himself quietly enjoying the work he was pathetically slow at it.

Ginny appeared, still dragging Dean behind her and poked her tongue at the boys. Dean was picked up by his mother a half hour later, and when Ginny's excuse vanished she was stuck at the sink and told to scrub out a large pot.

The afternoon grew later and more Weasley sons arrived. George arrived first, and Draco stayed back worriedly, watching as he embraced Harry and shared a cheerful word. George gave Draco a glance before dropping his eyes down and giving his mother a hug. He excused him to carry his trunk upstairs without speaking or looking at Draco again.

Harry just brushed his fingers through Draco's hair and kissed him on the side of the mouth when George disappeared.

Meeting the other Weasleys seemed a little easier. Percy arrived next, babbling about some Ministry of Magic report he had just been assigned with a great deal of pride. He shook Draco's hand rather warmly and even asked how his mother was faring.

"She's been staying with the Parkinsons'," Draco answered stiffly and Harry squeezed his shoulder. Percy nodded happily, moving past Draco to kiss Hermione on the cheek and ask her about her final exams.

Charlie arrived next, using Floo Powder to appear in the fireplace and scaring Crookshanks who had been asleep on the rug. Hermione's cat raced from the living room, through the kitchen and nearly knocked over George bringing in a fold-up table from outside.

The wild dragon-taming Weasley gave Draco a warm clap on the shoulder in greeting, announcing the endangered Hungarian Horntails mated successfully that morning. Harry made a strange face.

Fleur and Bill arrived last, pulling up in an old silver car. Fleur hugged everyone, pulling Draco in and kissing his cheek without any hesitation. She gushed rapidly in her accent and Draco didn't understand much of what she said but he warmly shook Bill's hand and helped take their bags to their rooms.

While dinner was stewing, boiling and roasting the Weasley children (excluding Percy) and adopted family members pulled out the broomsticks and flew into the twilight sky. George and Ginny wanted to play Weasleys against non-family, but Ron objected, and turned pink when they called him out for wanting to play on Hermione's side.

After ten minutes of bickering as they swayed in the air, the teams were settled and a game commenced. Their numbers were too small for a full game of Quidditch, so they all played as Chasers and attempted to score in the single hoops of either end. Draco played beside Harry, Fleur, Bill and Ginny and admired the youngest Weasley's skills as a teammate much more than he did as a rival. Despite Fleur's shakiness on a broom, his side won six to four (or only five to four according to George). Draco aiding Harry in scoring one; throwing the quaffle to him at the last moment so he could score when Ron and Charlie were distracted.

Later, George would declare that Hermione was a liability to their side, and Ron threw the quaffle at his head. Hermione slipped from her broom in laughter, clutching it like a sloth and needing Ron to help her up again.

The game ended when Bill and Fleur stopped and hovered side by side to enjoy the sunset. Draco and Ginny were taunting each other when Harry dropped beside him and whispered a familiar phrase in parseltongue and kissed him on the ear while Draco bathed in the beauty of the sunset.

"I love you too," Draco whispered and kissed Harry on the lips as the last rays of light vanished. They became lost in each other for a while, until Charlie and George were coughing loudly. Draco broke the kiss in a smile and had to concentrate to land on the ground without slipping off his broom. Once grounded, he stared into the green eyes he found so comforting and planting another kiss on those lips.

Molly called everyone into the house, ordering them all to wash up and set the table. Draco sat at the Weasley's dinner table between Hermione and Harry, extra chairs and tables added to make room for everyone. The large bowls were rotated around the table and the room was noise and laughter and chatter. Never had Draco had a family dinner such as this, and he loved every minute of it.

When the table was cleared, many of them gathered in the small living room and Ginny approached Draco with a bowl of lollies offered. He studied them cautiously.

Ginny laughed, "Don't worry Draco they're completely fine." To prove a point she grabbed one and popped it in her mouth. The lollies looked convincingly like red raspberry candy but he still waited a minute after Ginny had swallowed it. Nothing appeared to happen.

Everyone was watching when Ginny offered them again. "Come on, you're not scared right?"

Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's waist, laughing into his ear. Draco rolled his eyes. "Not scared, just cautious," he said, carefully picking one from the bowl and holding it to the light.

"I'm not having one til you do," Harry said with a grin.

Draco stared into Harry's eyes as he popped the lolly in his mouth. It tasted like raspberry, but as soon as he had swallowed it he felt a warm tingling sensation on his scalp. He looked at Harry, horrified, just as the sensation ended and the whole room erupted in laughter.

"What is it?" Draco asked, grabbing his face to make sure it was still normal. Unable to speak, Harry pulled him to his feet and pointed him towards the oval mirror on the wall.

Draco's features were untouched, but the roots to the tips of his hair where a blazing red colour. He stared at his reflection in shock, before snapping his attention to George.

"Here you go!" George cried out, throwing a clear raspberry shaped jelly his way, "this will turn you back to normal." He stood in front of everyone. "I'd like the present the first colour of Weasley's Wheezes' _Colour Changing Candy Drops_!"

Draco nearly swallowed the clear candy whole, watching his reflection as the red hair shimmered and disappeared. Harry was still laughing and had dropped to the ground.

Ginny caught Draco's eye, nodded at Harry, and held up another red lolly. Draco snatched it from her, slipped it in his mouth and grabbed the front of Harry's shirt and forced a kiss on his lips. Harry's laugh vanished, though Draco could hear the roaring laugher of the room. Draco slipped a tongue into Harry's mouth and then swiftly pushed in the red lolly. Harry leaned back in alarm but Draco continued to kiss him until Harry was against the ground and Draco was hovering over him, still met at the lips. Finally, Harry swallowed the candy and broke of the kiss with a scowl and pushed Draco up so he could jump before the mirror.

Draco watched Harry's lovely black hair shimmer and turn a brilliant shade of red which looked just ridiculous on him. The whole room seemed unable to pull together. Ginny was rolling on the floor, practically pink in the face while Bill, Charlie and Ron were quite shocked by Draco's display but found Harry's new hair colour hilarious.

Harry's red hair lasted half an hour because George refused to give him the clear lolly to change it back. Even when Harry tackled George to the ground, he couldn't find the packet of them to get one out. Draco pulled Harry onto his lap and allowed George to stand up again, but after a while Draco grew annoyed with the uncomplimentary look of red hair when he was used to lovely black locks around those green eyes and only needed to ask once for George to hand the candy to Harry.

Percy, Bill and Fleur departed when it became late, kissing, hugging and shaking hands as they left. With the party thinned, everyone remaining became a little more tired and worn out. As Ginny began to curl up with her head resting on Charlie's lap, Molly swept in and sent her to bed. Draco could see the sleepiness in Harry's eyes, and soon Molly sent Harry, him, Ron and Hermione to bed too.

After changing into sleepwear and brushing his teeth, Draco slipped under the mattress covers beside Harry, instinctually snuggling close and burying his face in Harry's hair with a contented sound. Ron entered the room after taking five minutes to say goodnight to Hermione and turned off the light for them.

In the dark, Draco traced lines and circles on Harry's chest before he leaned close to his ear.

"I want this," he whispered softly, placing his hand flat on Harry's chest to feel the rise and fall as he breathed.

"What exactly?" Harry whispered drowsily.

"Large family dinners," Draco whispered, "busy homely houses, lots of relatives to entertain, lots of hugging and kissing goodbye…" He trailed off. "If we sell Malfoy Manor, we could buy something small and have plenty of money left to give all the Weasley's a hand."

Harry made a small noise, moving to face Draco. "You can't give them money out of nowhere," he whispered gently.

"For their birthdays, then," Draco answered, "and I'm sure Ron and Hermione will appreciate some as a wedding present." They chuckled and Draco pressed his forehead to Harry's. "So when's Molly's birthday then?"

"It's in October," Ron's voiced said from his bed. Harry smothered his laughter into the pillow. "You really think 'Mione and I will be married?"

Draco sighed. "You're a fool if you don't propose to a girl that loves you like that, Ronald," he said gravely before leaning in and softly kissing Harry's lips. Harry kissed him back, once, before settling down with his arm on Draco's chest.

"I love you," Draco Malfoy whispered as he fell asleep, hands, arms and legs entwined with Harry Potter who murmured just as sweetly, "I love you too."

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><p>AN: Once more, I love you for reading, and please, please review. It's been fantastic everyone!


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